Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left Israel last night for a historic trip to Latin America, becoming the first acting Israeli Prime Minister to ever visit south and central America. Upon boarding his plane in Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport, Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is scheduled to conclude his trip in the United States for the annual leaders’ conference of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, said he will hold a meeting with US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu said, “I look forward to our meeting, my meeting with President Trump my friend, in the United States, in New York, and I want to take this opportunity to wish all our friends in the United States that they emerge safe and sound from these difficult times. This storm too shall pass and every citizen of Israel is praying for the safety of the citizens of the United States of America.”
Earlier on Sunday, Netanyahu held his weekly cabinet meeting, during which he emphasized that the historic trip to Latin America is expected to bolster Israel’s international standing. The Israeli leader stressed, “This is a visit that will strengthen our economic, security, and technological relations in Latin America, and will continue to strengthen Israel’s international standing, a process that we are leading methodically and successfully,” he said.