Netanyahu Departs for Trump Talks, AIPAC Conference in Washington

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed for Washington on Saturday night to meet U.S. President Donald Trump and address the AIPAC Policy Conference.

The prime minister will kick off his four-day visit by meeting Trump in the White House on Monday. The two leaders are expected to discuss Iran's attempts to establish military bases in Syria and methods to prevent the Islamic Republic from obtaining nuclear weapons.

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During Netanyahu's visit, Trump will likely sign an official directive recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, an intention the U.S. president announced in a tweet last Thursday.

Netanyahu will address the annual AIPAC Policy Conference on Tuesday morning, local time. After his speech, the premier will hold a series of meetings on Capitol Hill with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the leaders of the House of Representatives and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

The prime minister will end the visit with a formal dinner with Trump in the White House before returning to Israel on Wednesday. His wife, Sara Netanyahu, and son, Yair, will accompany him on the trip.

Prior to departing Saturday evening, Netanyahu thanked Trump for recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and announced plans to discuss "the continuation of our joint struggle against Iranian aggression."