Netanyahu to visit London next week on official trip

PM’s office announces he’ll spend next weekend in British capital, marking his third trip to Europe in as many weeks

By ToI Staff 17 March 2023, 1:18 pm

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves to the media after arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for a meeting with British counterpart Theresa May on February 6, 2017. (AFP Photo/Chris J Ratcliffe)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves to the media after arriving at 10 Downing Street in London for a meeting with his then British counterpart Theresa May on February 6, 2017. (AFP Photo/Chris J Ratcliffe)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will fly to London next week for an official visit, his office announced Friday.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Netanyahu will travel to London on Thursday and return Saturday evening following Shabbat. No details were provided regarding his plans while in the United Kingdom.

There was no immediate confirmation from the British side. When Netanyahu spoke in January with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after returning to office, the two agreed to soon meet in person.

The trip will be Netanyah’s third to a European capital in as many weeks, after his visit to Berlin this week and stay in Rome last weekend.

Netanyahu’s departure for London will coincide with the start of Ramadan, amid concerns of potential violence. Israel-Palestinian tensions have frequently flared during the Islamic holy month.

The announcement of his visit to London came a day after Netanyahu returned from Berlin, where he was met with protests against his government’s push to overhaul the Israeli judiciary.

While in Germany, Netanyahu said Israel is “and will remain a liberal democracy,” after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged him to consider an alternative judicial reform plan put forward by President Isaac Herzog and said Berlin was watching the debate unfold “with great concern.”