i24NEWS
December 01, 2019, 03:46 PM
2 min read
AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, Pool, File
FILE – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem, Friday, Oct. 18, 2019
Israeli PM also set to meet Merkel, Macron and other leaders during UK NATO summit
Israel’s interim Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set for a trip Tuesday to London to meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, two senior officials told Hebrew-language broadcaster Channel 13 on Sunday.
The meeting is set to take place during the 70th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance summit in Britain.
The Israeli premier is expected to stay in London for two days and convene with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, among other leaders.
One topic expected to be raised with Pompeo and the other heads of state is recent developments in Iran. The Islamic Republic has reportedly breached the 2015 nuclear deal, and comments being made lately by European leaders on re-examining the need to place sanctions on Tehran.
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However, Channel 13 reports, the visit is highly unusual as Netanyahu is currently serving as Israel’s interim prime minister and the fact that Israel could go to third elections in less than a week after the scheduled trip.
Earlier, the veteran premier slammed the European powers a day after six European states joined the INSTEX barter mechanism that was designed to circumvent US sanctions on Tehran.
Meanwhile, the Likud agreed in negotiations with Blue and White to begin the unity government with Netanyahu at the helm for the first six months, after which Gantz would take the lead, Hebrew media reported.
But Blue and White remain highly suspicious of the offer in hand, as different solutions are being put on the negotiating table in an attempt to gain trust between the sides.
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