Netanyahu to US, may meet with Obama

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to travel to Washington in two weeks to attend United Jewish Communities General Assembly where US President Barack Obama is slated to speak. While meeting yet to be announced officially, sources believe Israeli, American leaders to meet at White House

Yitzhak Benhorin|Published: 10.23.09 , 19:40

WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is slated to travel to Washington in two weeks to attend the United Jewish Communities General Assembly, Ynet learned on Friday.

While no scheduled meeting between Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama has been officially declared, sources in Washington believe the prime minister will not visit the US without meeting with Obama in the White House.

The Prime Minister's Office confirmed that Netanyahu will take off on November 8 for a two-day visit to the United States to attend the American Jewish communities' annual conference to which he received an invitation several weeks ago.

Netanyahu's planned appearance at the GA came to light after it became public that Obama is slated to give a speech at the conference on November 9.

The American president decided to speak at the conference in hopes of garnering more Jewish support and sending a calming message to Israel, in light of his particularly low popularity in the Jewish state.

The only meeting to take place between the two leaders since their election was held last May. In September the two met for a brief three-way summit with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Obama-Netanyahu relations have been rather frigid. They two rarely speak, and most American communication with Israel is done via phone calls by Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and meetings with special Mideast envoy George Mitchell.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian news agency reported on Friday that Obama phoned his Palestinian counterpart, and according to the latter's spokesman, the two had a 'very important conversation about the future of the region."

The Israeli government's main contact with the US is Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who enjoys good personal ties with US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, as well as with Clinton and Mitchell.