The planned trip of Benjamin Netanyahu to the United States has been postponed. The announcement was made by the Israeli Prime Minister’s office on Thursday, with the stated reason — according to Israeli media reports — being the rescheduling of the funeral of former US Senator Lindsey Graham, which has been moved to later in the month.
It is worth recalling that Benjamin Netanyahu had planned to travel to Washington on Saturday evening to attend Graham’s funeral and meet with US President Donald Trump.
The postponement comes against the backdrop of Tel Aviv’s declared opposition to Turkey acquiring the F-35 fighter jet — a move that could upset the balance of power in the eastern Mediterranean. Netanyahu reiterated in a recent interview that, in his view, Erdoğan “should not receive weapons,” while — notably — reminding that “we are preventing Islamist radicals from taking over the Arabian Peninsula, Jordan, and Egypt.”
Israeli Defense Minister contacts the Pentagon — The message on Lebanon, Syria, Gaza and the snub to Trump
Despite US President Donald Trump pressing Benjamin Netanyahu to withdraw Israeli forces from “security zones” in Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria, the Israeli military establishment appears unconvinced.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated overnight (July 16, 2026) to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Israel’s “resolve” to maintain forces deployed in “security zones” in Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip. According to the Israeli statement, Hegseth briefed Katz on recent military operations in Iran, and the two agreed to continue coordination in response to any further developments. Katz, in turn, updated Washington on ongoing operations in Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon, conveying Tel Aviv’s intention to remain in the areas it has placed under military control.
This statement by the Israeli Defense Minister comes as the United States announced that talks held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Rome between Israel and Lebanon were “positive,” and that the process of establishing “pilot zones” — from which Israeli forces are expected to withdraw — is set to begin “within the coming days.”
US President Donald Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pull Israeli forces out of Syria and Lebanon, according to an article published on Tuesday by US outlet Axios.
Israeli leaders frequently reference these “security zones,” the precise boundaries of which remain undefined, though Israeli authorities place them along Israel’s borders.
In a statement, the office of Israel’s Defense Minister said that Katz conveyed to his American counterpart “Israel’s resolve to remain in the security zones in Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon in order to protect Israel’s borders and border communities from the threats posed by jihadist forces.” “We have never asked the US to operate on our behalf along our borders,” the statement from Katz’s office added.
In Lebanon and Gaza, Israeli forces are present on the ground, conducting daily operations against Hezbollah and Hamas respectively.
In Lebanon, Israeli forces remain deployed in what the military describes as a “security zone” extending approximately 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory, while continuing limited strikes in the south.
In Gaza, the Israeli military controls 60% of the territory. It is primarily present along the entire outer perimeter of the Palestinian enclave, along the border between Israel and Egypt.
Following the ousting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Israel dispatched forces into a UN-monitored buffer zone separating Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights.
Since then, Israel has repeatedly conducted raids and airstrikes on Syrian territory and has stated its intention to establish a demilitarized zone in southern Syria.
