JERUSALEM – President Donald Trump’s next stop in Israel will be a port-town in southern Israel, a day after the president traveled to a resort town in the far western coastal state of Negev, officials said Monday.
Trump is expected to make a stop in Porta Asbury Park, the Israeli tourism ministry said, adding that Trump will also meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The president, who has frequently criticized Israel for its treatment of Palestinians, will visit Israel on Thursday, according to a statement from the White House.
It said that he is expected “to discuss the importance of peace in the region and the threat posed by Iran, a country that has proven to be a source of instability and threat to Israel.”
Earlier Monday, Trump traveled to the Gaza Strip, where he announced his decision to withdraw the U.S. from the U, the State Department said in a statement.
He also issued a statement saying that he “reaffirms his commitment to the security of Israel and the security and welfare of the United States.”
He is scheduled to visit the Gaza-Egypt border area on Tuesday, according the statement.
A statement from Netanyahu’s office said he is scheduled “to hold meetings with American business leaders and other high-level leaders to discuss the prospects for economic and trade cooperation.”
The announcement comes as Trump has been trying to repair relations with Israeli leaders after his announcement that he would pull out of the landmark Paris climate accord, and after a tumultuous weekend when Israeli and U.N. officials clashed over Jerusalem and the status of the West Bank.
The Israeli president has also been under pressure from Republicans in Congress and his own party for his decision last month to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
He announced the decision on Monday.