Trump to host Israel's Netanyahu March 25-26: White House

[March 21, 2019]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House next Monday and Tuesday, the White House said, reaffirming the two leaders' close ties.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, March 10, 2019. Gali Tibbon/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

The announcement came shortly after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in Tel Aviv on Wednesday and planned to deliver remarks alongside Netanyahu.

"The president and the prime minister will discuss their countries’ shared interests and actions in the Middle East during a working meeting on March 25," the White House said in a statement. Trump will host Netanyahu at a dinner on Tuesday night.

The Israeli prime minister planned to visit Washington next week to address the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, two weeks before the Israeli election on April 9.

"Relations with the United States have never been this strong," Netanyahu said in a speech earlier Wednesday.

Israel's attorney general said on Feb. 28 he plans to indict Netanyahu in three corruption cases. Netanyahu, who denies any wrongdoing, will have the chance to persuade the attorney-general to scrap the charges at a hearing expected after the election.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Susan Thomas)

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