U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who was slated to arrive in Israel for a state visit this week, asked to hold a press conference at the Western Wall plaza during his visit, Channel 10 News reported on Monday.
The visit has since been delayed until mid-January due so that Pence can participate in the upcoming Senate vote on tax reforms.
According to Monday’s report, Pence’s request was rejected by the rabbi of the Western Wall, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz.
Rabbi Rabinowitz reportedly explained in closed meetings that holding such a press conference, in the wake of the recent American recognition of Jerusalem, could further increase the tension with the Arab world and cause more Arab rioting around the Western Wall and the Temple Mount.
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation would not comment on the report, saying, "There are discussions with the Vice President's team regarding the characteristics of his visit to the Western Wall and we will not address the content of these discussions in the media."
MK Bezalel Smotrich (Jewish Home) wrote on Twitter on Monday, "If this is true, I call on Prime Minister Netanyahu to intervene immediately and allow the press conference to take place at the Western Wall. With all due respect to the rabbi of the Western Wall, and I have a lot of respect for him, he is not supposed to make decisions on such important matters.”
Pence, had the visit taken place, would have made the first formal state visit by a senior U.S. official to the Western Wall.
The Palestinian Authority, already angry following President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, had urged local Arabs to take to the streets to protest Pence’s visit, and called on Arab Christians not to welcome the Vice President at local churches.