US Vice President J.D. Vance is expected to visit Israel later this week, Israel Hayom has learned. Although the visit has not yet been finalized, Israeli officials are preparing as though it will go ahead. If the trip takes place, it will mark Vance's first-ever visit to Israel.
American officials were quick to clarify that the visit is not a "compensation visit" following Trump's decision to skip Israel during his recent Middle East tour. Instead, they said, Vance's arrival is intended to support efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.
Alongside many other world leaders, Vice President Vance is attending the inauguration ceremony of the new pope, Leo XIV, today at the Vatican in Rome. Israeli President Isaac Herzog is representing Israel at the event. It is assumed that Vance will arrive in Israel following the papal inauguration.
Vance is considered close to the isolationist wing of the Republican Party. However, in numerous public statements, he has made clear that in his view, Israel is an exception to the broader American desire to withdraw from global policing roles. For example, shortly after the October 7 massacre by the Hamas terrorist organization, he argued that "military aid to Israel should not be delayed because of the desire to support Ukraine" in its war against Russia.
If the visit proceeds, Vance is expected to meet with Israel's top leadership and may also tour communities near the Gaza Strip, security conditions permitting.
