U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is to make an unprecedented visit to Jerusalem's Western Wall with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the highest-level American official to tour the holy site with Israel's leader.
Pompeo says he thinks it's important and symbolic to visit the wall with the Israeli leader Thursday as a show of U.S. support for Israel.
Senior U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump and numerous predecessors, have visited the wall in the past but never with an Israeli leader.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin shake hands during their meeting in Jerusalem Thursday, March 21, 2019. (Jim YoungPool Photo via AP)
Since Israel captured east Jerusalem and the Old City in 1967, U.S. officials have avoided appearances at the Western Wall with Israeli leaders to avoid the appearance of recognizing Israel's control over the city's most sensitive holy sites. But that policy has been upended by the Trump administration.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman stand next to the dedication plaque at the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, Wednesday, March 21, 2019. (Jim YoungPool Image via AP)