The White House has not yet set a date for US President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel, and this likely stems from the political crisis in Israel and the possibility of the government’s collapse, Israeli media reported.
This results from Meretz MK Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi’s announcement of defection from the coalition, meaning the government is supported by a minority of 59 Knesset members.
The White House is waiting to clarify the political situation in Israel, especially since the Likud party and the opposition may present a bill to dissolve the Knesset next Wednesday.
Because of the political crisis and security tensions: Biden's visit to Israel in question pic.twitter.com/zla9sDWbXh
— ZOONewsTV (@ZOONewsTV) May 19, 2022
An Israeli official said that canceling Biden’s visit to Israel would not be surprising, according to what was reported by the Ynet website on Friday.
“As the security situation is problematic and the coalition is fragile, it is not certain that Biden will benefit from such a visit. If the government falls, then Biden’s visit at this time may be considered very problematic, and they do not want to appear as favoring one party over the other in Israel,” the official added.
The Israeli government is awaiting a response from the White House regarding the date and agenda for Biden’s visit. White House staff visited Israel two weeks ago and discussed several possibilities regarding the date of the visit. According to an Israeli official, if the visit is not cancelled, it will occur between June 21-24.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
