Federica Mogherini speaks at press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Image by getty images

JERUSALEM (JTA) — European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini canceled a visit to Jerusalem after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he could not meet with her due to “scheduling reasons.”

Mogherini has been scheduled to speak Monday at the American Jewish Committee’s Global Forum meeting in Jerusalem. She was to come to Jerusalem following an official visit to Jordan.

Mogherini reportedly cancelled her participation in the conference after being informed that Netanyahu would be unable to meet with her during her visit.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Netanyahu last met with Mogherini in December at a breakfast meeting in Brussels of the foreign ministers of 28 EU countries.

A spokeswoman for Mogherini told the Jerusalem Post that she had “looked into the possibility of expanding this visit to Jerusalem, where she was invited to speak at the American Jewish Committee. For agenda reasons, it turned out that this was not possible.”

“We believe that is important to talk, because there are many important issues in the region to discuss, including Iran,” the spokeswoman said, adding that Mogherini was “looking forward to returning to the region in the near future.”

Mogherini has publicly criticized the U.S. moving its embassy to Jerusalem and Israel’s response to the last two months of protests by Gazan Palestinians on the border with Israel.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forward’s award-winning journalism during our High Holiday Monthly Donor Drive.

This year, we have stood together in strength and sorrow. Our Forward team has worked around the clock to help you find clarity amid the chaos.

If you’ve turned to the Forward in the past 12 months to better understand the world around you, we hope you will support us with a gift now. Your support has a direct impact, giving us the resources we need to report from Israel and around the U.S., across college campuses, and wherever there is news of importance to American Jews.

Make a monthly or one-time gift and support Jewish journalism throughout 5785. The first six months of your monthly gift will be matched for twice the investment in independent Jewish journalism. 

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount