Prime Minister Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu has canceled a scheduled visit to France and Italy. The visit, which was to have been his first since taking office, was planned for next week.
Netanyahu was scheduled to meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Diplomatic sources suggested that the cancellation was the result of tension between Israel and Europe over the status of Jerusalem. France believes that Jerusalem should be divided between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, while Israeli leaders insist that Jerusalem will remain Israel's undivided capital.
Last week, on Jerusalem Day, Netanyahu spoke at Ammunition Hill and promised his audience that Jerusalem would “never again be divided.” President Shimon Peres made similar statements.
Shortly afterward, the French Foreign Ministry released a statement accusing Netanyahu of “prejudice regarding the final status agreement,” and insisting that Jerusalem “needs to turn into a capital for two states.”
Sources in the Prime Minister's Office denied that tensions over Jerusalem played a role in the decision to cancel Netanyahu's visit. The visit was delayed in order to give those involved more time to prepare, PMO officials said.
A third explanation was given to Maariv by a member of Netanyahu's staff, who said the prime minister would remain in Israel for the time being in order to deal with pressing issues, among them the national budget and the appointment of a negotiator in the matter of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.