Benjamin Netanyahu cancels US visit, cites polls for declining invite

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cancellation of a proposed meeting with US President Barack Obama put more strain on their troubled ties on Tuesday just before a visit to Israel by vice-president Joe Biden.

The White House said on Monday it was “surprised” to learn first from Israeli media that Mr Netanyahu had decided against coming to a conference of the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC in Washington on March 20, and the suggestion in some reports that among his reasons was Mr Obama’s unavailability to see him.

“We were looking forward to hosting the bilateral meeting,” said Ned Price, a spokesman for the White House’s national security council. “We were surprised to first learn via media reports that the Prime Minister, rather than accept our invitation, opted to cancel his visit.”

Zeev Elkin, an Israeli Cabinet minister close to Mr Netanyahu, countered that Israeli ambassador Ron Dermer had given the White House advance warning the trip might not happen.

It was the latest episode in a fraught relationship between the right-wing Israeli leader and Democratic US President that has yet to recover from deep differences over 2015’s US-led international nuclear deal with Israel’s foe Iran.

Mr Biden, whose 2010 visit to Israel was marred by acrimony over a Jewish settlement plan announced during his trip, arrived later on Tuesday for talks on Wednesday with Mr Netanyahu in Jerusalem and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the occupied West Bank.

With violence surging for the past five months, US officials have said no peace breakthrough is expected during Mr Biden’s visit.

Mr Netanyahu has hailed Mr Biden’s visit as a sign of Israel’s “strong relations” with the United States.

Within hours, however, a flap erupted with the White House, which said that contrary to media reports, Mr Netanyahu had been offered a March 18 meeting with Mr Obama, ahead of the President’s landmark Cuba visit on March 21 and 22.

Mr Netanyahu’s office said on Tuesday he would not attend the AIPAC event and voiced appreciation for Mr Obama’s willingness to host him.

It said Mr Netanyahu was reluctant to be drawn into the US presidential campaign, where candidates have been vying to assert their bona fides as friends of Israel.