VP Pence to visit Israel and Egypt in December

US Vice President Mike Pence is expected to visit Israel during Hanukkah, which falls in December, followed by Ramallah, to discuss peace prospects with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas. The official statement said he will also address US policy towards Iran and Israel’s space program. In Cairo, Pence will discuss US-Egyptian cooperation on security issues with President Abdel-Fatteh el-Sisi.
The vice president highlighted the importance of ending the persecution of Christians and religious minorities in the Middle East, in an address he delivered Wednesday night before the Defense of Christians’ annual solidarity dinner for Christians in the Middle East. He promised to make good on President Donald Trump’s pledge to pull US funding from ineffective UN programs for aid to persecuted and displaced religious minority communities, and channel it to direct funding from USAID and faith-based groups.