Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, May 18, 2025
From the Liveblog of
Sunday, May 18, 2025
White House denies reports Vance to visit Israel this week
Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
Vice President JD Vance, right, and his wife Usha attend Pope Leo XIV's formal inauguration of his pontificate in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, May 18, 2025. (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)
A White House official says US Vice President JD Vance will not be visiting Israel on Tuesday following his trip to the Vatican, after Hebrew-language media outlets reported that Jerusalem is preparing for a potential meeting with Washington’s second-in-command.
“Media reports that the vice president will visit Israel are false,” says the official, adding that Vance will return to Washington on Monday.
“While the Secret Service has engaged in contingency planning for the addition of several potential countries, no additional visits were at any point decided upon, and logistical constraints have precluded an extension of his travel beyond Rome,” the official says.
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