The Foreign Ministry published its list on Monday of dignitaries expected to visit Israel in the upcoming month and US Vice President Mike Pence, whose visit to the Holy Land has already been postponed twice, was not listed.
When asked about the glaring omission, Israeli officials said that “due to various scheduling difficulties,” no new date has yet been set for the vice president’s visit.
Pence’s first official visit as Vice President was originally scheduled December 18 but was postponed due to Congressional voting on tax reform. The White House announced his visit would take place January 14. This conflicted with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s previously scheduled five-day trip to India.
Pence, an outspoken and uncompromising Evangelical Christian supporter of Israel, has visited the holy land three times before, in 2004, 2008 and 2014. He even has Jewish relatives who reside in Israel.
Arab members of Knesset said they intended boycott Pence’s speech in protest of President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. PA President Mahmoud Abbas canceled his meeting with Pence as well.
