Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, November 13, 2019. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun.

JNS.org – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cancelled his planned trip to the annual NATO summit in London, despite being scheduled to meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on the sidelines of the event, which begins on Tuesday, to discuss the Iranian threat.

Haaretz first reported this development on Monday, citing “officials involved in the planning of Netanyahu’s visit” who said that the trip was nixed over “logistical problems.” They also alluded to the fact that heads of states who will be at the 70th summit were given short notice.

The outlet reported that officials said that German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have not yet responded to requests from Netanyahu’s team for meetings on the event’s sidelines.

Netanyahu is now seeking to arrange a meeting with Pompeo later this week in Portugal, where the US top diplomat will be after visiting Morocco as part of an effort to normalize relations with Israel.