Ben Gvir Cancels Planned U.S. Visit Amid Visa Complications

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has canceled his planned trip to the United States after running into visa problems and what Israeli media described as demands from the Americans. According to the report, the cancellation came on Monday, June 15, 2026, after days of uncertainty surrounding the visit.

The trip had already become controversial over how it would be financed. Haaretz reported that Ben Gvir asked the legal adviser to approve funding from his close friend, businessman Yaakov Elharar, for travel worth tens of thousands of shekels. The State Comptroller’s permit committee rejected that request and imposed several conditions, after which Ben Gvir looked for other sources of funding for the trip for himself and his wife.

Ben Gvir also delayed a court hearing in an ongoing lawsuit with journalist Chaim Levinson, saying in his request that he expected to fly to the U.S. in order to hold several meetings of diplomatic importance and attend a private family event with his wife. He later said he also had a “very important diplomatic meeting,” but did not say with whom or when.

Although Israeli citizens normally only need to register on the U.S. embassy website two days before departure, and Ben Gvir holds a diplomatic passport, the Americans asked him to appear in person at the embassy and provide fingerprints, apparently because of his criminal record. Ben Gvir’s aides said he canceled out of concern that entry approval would arrive only after the flight date. Israeli and American sources described the issue as bureaucratic, but the report says the wider assessment is that Ben Gvir’s criminal past and Washington’s unwillingness to handle his request exceptionally were the real reasons the trip was scrapped.