No Churches, No Palestinians: Mike Pence's Official Schedule for His Visit to Israel
Aside from meetings with Netanyahu and Rivlin, the American vice president's itinerary for Israel includes stops at the Western Wall and Yad Vashem
United States Vice President Mike Pence will arrive in Israel this Wednesday for an official visit. His trip abroad will include a stop in Egypt, during which he will meet with President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi, and one in Germany, where he will spend time with American troops.
Palestinian officials, however, are not preparing a welcome for Pence's visit. After U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital last week, Palestinian officials have pressured local church leaders not to welcome Pence. "There will be no meeting with the vice president of America in Palestine," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' diplomatic advisor said last week. The vice president is also not slated to visit Bethlehem or churches in Jerusalem.
The Coptic Pope of Egypt also announced he will refuse to meet with Pence due to the American administration's controversial decision on Jerusalem.
Pence in Egypt
Wednesday, December 20:
Meeting with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi
Pence in Israel
Wednesday, December 20:
Visit to the Western Wall
Thursday, December 21:
Meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Formal remarks at the Knesset
Dinner with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Friday, December 22:
Meeting with President Reuven Rivlin
Visit to Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem
Pence in Germany
Saturday, December 23:
Visit with U.S. service members at Ramstein Air Force Base
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