Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, departed for the U.S. on Saturday night ahead of Netanyahu's meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. This will be the fifth meeting between Trump and Netanyahu since the former took office.
Prior to leaving on Saturday night, Netanyahu tweeted, "I leave tonight for the United States on an important visit. While there, I will meet with [U.S. President] Donald Trump, and I will speak at the AIPAC [American Israel Public Affairs Committee] annual convention.
"While speaking with the president, I will thank him on behalf of the Israeli public for moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem in honor of Israel's 70th Independence Day.
Netanyahu said that the "first and foremost" topic he and Trump would discuss during their March 5 meeting would be Iran, "especially ahead of the decision regarding the Iranian nuclear program. We will discuss Iran's aggression in the region in general, and specifically with regard to the Iranian nuclear program."
The prime minister also said he and Trump would discuss advancing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, which he called "very important for Israel" and "important for the security of the entire world."
One diplomatic official confirmed that it was "definitely possible that Netanyahu will invite Trump to the embassy opening."
The current schedule for the five-day visit also includes a joint press conference.
Trump visited Israel last year, only a few months after he was elected in November 2016. In addition to the president, Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with legislators from the Senate and the House of Representatives and discuss Iran's nuclear program and the Palestinian Authority's payments to terrorists and terrorists' families.
Netanyahu arrives in the U.S. shortly after a Gallup poll was published showing an all-time high of 74% support for Israel among the American public. On Wednesday, Netanyahu is scheduled to depart Washington for New York, where he has two events scheduled: a tribute evening to former Prisoner of Zion and current Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky, and a visit to an exhibit at U.N. headquarters dedicated to the Jewish people's historic connection to Jerusalem.
Netanyahu's trip comes during a particularly turbulent time for him domestically. On Friday, he and his wife were questioned under caution by the Israel Police regarding a corruption case dubbed Case 4,000.
The case centers on potentially illicit dealings and conflict of interest involving Israeli telecom corporation Bezeq and the Walla news website, which Bezeq owns. The police allege that Bezeq controlling shareholder Shaul Elovitch ensured positive coverage by Walla for Netanyahu, in exchange for the prime minister promoting government regulation worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the company.
