(Ha'aretz) Barak Ravid - Diplomats stationed at the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem refused to hold talks with Israeli officials about arrangements for President Trump's planned visit to the Western Wall during his trip to Israel next week. The diplomats claimed that the site is in the West Bank, and therefore the Israeli government has no authority over it. Prime Minister Netanyahu was briefed on the matter and ordered Israel's ambassador in Washington, Ron Dermer, to demand an explanation from the White House. "For American diplomats to say that the Western Wall is part of the West Bank astonished us," a senior official in the Prime Minister's Bureau said. A White House spokesman said, "These comments...do not reflect the U.S. position, and certainly not the President's position."
2017-05-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive