From The Jerusalem Post:
A dramatic rift was created between Washington and Jerusalem as US President Donald Trump's team as well as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's team both issued harsh statements on Monday evening less than a week prior to the president's much-expected visit to Israel.
The drama unfolded when a senior White House official said that the Western Wall was part of the West Bank and not part of Israel's territory, as Channel 2 reported on Monday.
"The Western Wall is not in your territory," the official reportedly said.
It seems that the official was prompted to make the statement after members of Netanyahu's team asked if Netanyahu could join Trump on the visit to the Western Wall and whether Israeli photographers could document the event, to which the Americans replied that the Western Wall was a "disputed territory."
According to Channel 2, the same official told members of Netanyahu's team that Trump's visit to the Western Wall was a private visit and also added: "No way, why is this your business?"
The official allegedly went on to say: "This is not your territory but rather part of the West Bank."
This is bad. This is a disgrace.
Will someone please tell the Trump Administration The Western Wall is the holiest site in Judaism?
For the Trump Administration not to permit Netanyahu to join him at The Western Wall where thousands of Jews from Israel and all around the world pray every day is a gross discourtesy and yet another example of the infantile incompetence that has become their standard.
Trump is set to become the first sitting President to visit The Western Wall. But what good is such a visit if the Trump White House says Israel's Prime Minister isn't welcome to join him? In so doing, Trump is effectively giving Netanyahu the Obama treatment.
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