Netanyahu shortens weekend trip to Paris, Budapest

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decides to shorten his upcoming trip to Paris and Budapest. He was scheduled to take off for the French capital on Friday afternoon, heading off potential criticism that he might needlessly violate the Sabbath — which lasts from Friday evening to Saturday night — by explaining that he needed to be at a Sunday morning event in France. The newly scheduled departure time is around midnight on Saturday night. His office does not explain the sudden change of plan.

On Sunday, Netanyahu is scheduled to participate in a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Vel d’Hiv roundup of French Jews by French authorities under Nazi rule.

Later in the day, he will have his first meeting with new French President Emmanuel Macron.

Netanyahu is slated to fly to Hungary on Monday, marking the first visit to the country by an Israeli premier since the end of Communism. In Budapest, he will meet the leaders of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

— Raphael Ahren

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