During a visit to Jerusalem for the fifth World Holocaust Forum Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence extended an official invitation from President Donald Trump to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his opponent, Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz, to visit the White House next week.
"President Donald J. Trump will welcome Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to the White House on January 28, 2020. LTG. (Res.) MK Benjamin Gantz, Blue and White Chairman, has also accepted the President’s invitation to come to Washington. The United States and Israel are strong partners, and the Prime Minister’s visit is an opportunity to discuss our shared regional and national security interests," the White House released.
Netanyahu are Gantz are locked in a heated battle for prime minister as Israel heads into its third election in three years. Netanyahu won the 2019 election, but was unable to form a coalition government. The next election will be held in March. Both have accepted President Trump's invitation, which comes as the White House will reportedly release a long awaited Middle East peace plan. President Trump is calling reports of the plan's release "speculative."
The United States looks forward to welcoming Prime Minister @Netanyahu & Blue & White Chairman @Gantzbe to the @WhiteHouse next week. Reports about details and timing of our closely-held peace plan are purely speculative.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 23, 2020
Unsurprisingly the Palestinians have already rejected the plan, despite not seeing any of the details.
#BREAKING: Palestinian Authority reiterates rejection of US peace plan after it was revealed US officials would most likely share some details of President #Trump’s long-secret Middle East proposal when Israeli PM Benjamin #Netanyahu visits next weekhttps://t.co/tINEQMUhGn pic.twitter.com/nBCtTEJXva
— Arab News (@arabnews) January 23, 2020