March 6, 2013

WASHINGTON (JTA) — U.S. and Israeli officials said President Obama would not delay his trip to Israel in the event that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is unable to form a government.

“We have no scheduling changes to announce,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday. “The president is looking forward to, very much, his trip to Israel and the region, and we’re on course planning that trip.”

An Israeli Embassy official in Washington described as “baseless” reports in the Israeli media earlier this week that Obama would delay his trip should Netanyahu fail to meet a March 16 deadline to form a government, a few days before Obama is due to arrive.  

The official told JTA that preparations for the trip were continuing apace and there was no sign of a postponement.

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