Netanyahu Cancels Trip to London, Will Meet Pompeo Later This Week

Photo Credit: UK Government / Wikimedia

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled his plan to travel to London on Tuesday to meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the sidelines of the two-day NATO summit in the British capital.

The two men will instead meet in Lisbon, Portugal later this week, according to Hebrew-language media.

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Sources also told Israeli media that attempts to arrange meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the gathering were rebuffed as well.

According to a report by Israel’s Channel 13 television news, a senior Israeli official said the UK government nixed the visit, claiming it could not accommodate the Israeli leader on such short notice in addition to the other world leaders and their delegations attending the summit.

British officials were allegedly displeased with Netanyahu’s second planned visit to London this year to meet with US officials at an event with numerous delegations requiring high security just days after the city was hit by terrorists, according to Haaretz.

The prime minister had visited the British capital this past September to meet with US Defense Secretary Mark Esper and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Last Friday, two people were killed in a terror attack in central London. The country faces a general election in just 10 more days, and Johnson is racing the clock to battle Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn for the prime minister’s seat in Number Ten Downing.