Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to the United States on Saturday, a senior Israeli official told Reuters on Wednesday. Netanyahu wants to meet US President Donald Trump during his trip, but it is not clear if he will, the official added.

Hebrew media reports said the prime minister was traveling to attend memorial events and the funeral for US senator Lindsey Graham, an ardent Israel advocate who died unexpectedly over the weekend.

Netanyahu has visited the US to meet with Trump seven times since the US leader was inaugurated for his second term last year. This visit would mark Netanyahu’s first since the US and Israel launched their joint campaign against Iran in late February.

His office was expected to release details of his US trip later on Wednesday.

After longtime South Carolina senator Graham passed away, Netanyahu eulogized him as one of Israel’s “greatest friends,” praising him for his decades of stalwart support for Israel in Washington and for devoting his life to “defending America, strengthening our alliance and standing up for the free world.”

A date for the funeral has not been announced.

A US official said Tuesday that no meeting between Netanyahu and Trump has been scheduled.

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© The Times of Israel