Pence Arrives in Israel After Public Scolding in Jordan

Vice President Mike Pence arrived in Israel late Sunday after tense meetings with the leaders of Jordan and Egypt, who publicly scolded him for President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Jordan’s King Abdullah II gave Pence a “candid and frank” talk about the U.S. decision, warning it would likely exacerbate “frustrations” in the region. “Jerusalem is [as] key to Muslims and Christians as it is to Jews,” he told Pence, who made no apologies for what he described as Trump’s “historic” policy change. The vice president had twice rescheduled his trip to the region after Trump’s announcement of the move sparked outrage. After his meeting with Jordan’s king, however, Pence appeared to downplay tensions, saying he and Abdullah had “agreed to disagree” on the issue, and “friends occasionally have disagreements.” Pence, who said there’d been a “disagreement between friends” after his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi a day earlier, is expected to get a warmer welcome from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Pence is also due to speak to Israel’s parliament, though several Arab members have vowed to boycott in protest of Trump, who they say is a “racist political pyromaniac.”