European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has canceled a scheduled visit to Israel this week after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly rebuffed her request for a meeting.
Mogherini had been set to attend the American Jewish Congress Global Forum in Jerusalem in an unofficial capacity. According to Hadashot News, the Europeans were informed a meeting with Netanyahu would not be possible due to scheduling issues.
Mogherini has been set to land in Israel following an official visit to Jordan on Saturday, but decided to cancel her scheduled speech at the conference and her Israel trip altogether after learning that her request for a meeting with Netanyahu had been denied.
Meanwhile, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, who returned to Dublin from a trip to the Middle East over the weekend, raised eyebrows with a tweet he posted showing a split image of green Irish fields and dry Israeli desert, both photos taken from an airplane window, with the caption "Just back from the Middle East – what a great country we are fortunate to live in #Ireland."
He later deleted the tweet.
Earlier, Coveney posted on Twitter calling his visit to Jordan, Israel, Ramallah and Cyprus "fascinating and productive." Speaking of his meeting on Thursday with Netanyahu, Coveney tweeted, "Good frank meeting with @IsraeliPM tonight – main focus was on concerns re #Gaza and the need to progress a peace dialogue on MEPP [Middle East peace process]."
