Trump postpones trip to Israel

Donald Trump, under fire over his proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States, announced Thursday he is postponing his trip to Israel and his once-planned  meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I have decided to postpone my trip to Israel and to schedule my meeting with @Netanyahu at a later date after I become President of the U.S.,” Trump tweeted.

In an interview on Fox and Friends, Trump indicated that he had spoken with Netanyahu, and “he said we have a meeting and he looks forward to the meeting and all of that. But I didn’t want to put him under pressure.”

Trump also said he is in “the midst of a very powerful campaign that’s going very well, and it was not that easy to do … I could have done it, it was semi-scheduled.”

Israeli lawmakers had objected to Trump’s visit because of his proposal to bar the entry of Muslims into the U.S. Netanyahu’s office indicated that he also opposed the idea.

Trump has said his ban would be temporary until the government could better assess the threat of terrorism.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said  Obama administration officials are “relieved” that Trump canceled his Israel trip, given the volatility in the region.