Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit Washington, DC, for the first time since the beginning of the war with Iran to reportedly attend the memorial service for Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and meet with President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu is set to touch down in the American capital on Saturday night and stay through Tuesday in order to pay his respects to the late senator, Israeli sources told the Jerusalem Post.
Graham died last Saturday night after reportedly suffering a tear in his aorta. Funeral plans are still in the works as planners coordinate the international leaders who are flying in, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) told reporters.
Sources also told the Post that the Israeli leader has plans to speak with Trump, though that has yet to be officially scheduled.
Netanyahu’s last visit to the U.S. was in early February, which also featured a meeting with Trump on their respective countries’ approaches to Iran and Gaza.
While the two leaders agreed in an early July phone call to “meet soon,” the Post reported that Netanyahu’s “main commitment” during his trip will be going to Graham’s funeral.
Netanyahu released a statement mourning Graham’s sudden death on Sunday, calling him “a great friend of Israel and a cherished friend of mine.”
“Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable. He devoted his life to defending America, strengthening our alliance and standing up for the free world,” the prime minister added in his statement.
Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.