BICOM

US Vice President Mike Pence has delayed his planned visit to the Middle East in order to stay in Washington for the Senate vote on tax reform.

Pence’s office said:  “Due to the historic nature of the vote in the Senate on tax cuts for millions of Americans, the VP will stay to preside over the vote. The Vice President will then travel to Egypt and Israel where he’ll reaffirm the United States’ commitment to its allies in the Middle East and to working cooperatively to defeat radicalism”.

The Vice President is now expected to travel to Egypt to meet President Sisi on Tuesday and Israel on Wednesday. Pence will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, opposition leader Isaac Herzog, and Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein. He will also address the plenary in the Knesset, an honour usually only extended to to visiting heads of state or parliamentary speakers.

Pence is also expected to visit the Old City of Jerusalem but, following the same protocol as President Trump he will not be accompanied by Israeli officials.

His Knesset speech is likely to be boycotted by MKs from the Joint Arab List. Joint List leader Ayman Odeh said this would “send a clear message to the US administration and the world that there are citizens here who strongly oppose Trump’s declaration and to clarify that the US has lost its place as the exclusive mediator of negotiations. West Jerusalem will be recognised as Israel’s capital by the whole world as soon as the Government of Israel recognises East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state”.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) said it will refuse to meet with Pence during his visit. Jibril Rajoub, a senior Fatah official said that last week Pence was “not welcome in Palestine”.

In response a White House spokesperson said: “It’s unfortunate that the Palestinian Authority is walking away again from an opportunity to discuss the future of the region.;”