Harsh Exchange Between Trump And Netanyahu Teams Days Ahead Of Key Israel Visit

By Staff Reporter
Posted on 05/15/17 | News Source: jpost.com

Jerusalem - A dramatic rift appears to have been created between Washington and Jerusalem as US President Donald Trump’s team as well as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s team both issued harsh statements on Monday evening less than a week prior to the president’s much-expected visit to Israel.

The drama unfolded when a senior White House official said that the Western Wall was part of the West Bank and not part of Israel’s territory, as Channel 2 reported on Monday.

“The Western Wall is not in your territory,” the official reportedly said.

It seems that the official was prompted to make the statement after members of Netanyahu’s team asked if Netanyahu could join Trump on the visit to the Western Wall and whether Israeli photographers could document the event, to which the Americans replied that the Western Wall was a “disputed territory.”

According to Channel 2, the same official told members of Netanyahu’s team that Trump’s visit to the Western Wall was a private visit and also added: “No way, why is this your business?”

The official allegedly went on to say: “This is not your territory but rather part of the West Bank.”

A source close to the preparations team in Israel told Channel 2 that...read more at JPOST