Ben Gvir cancels US trip after visa complication

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir canceled plans for a family trip to the United States after his visa process reportedly hit obstacles. Haaretz and Channel 12 reported that the US Embassy asked Ben Gvir to appear in person for biometric fingerprinting as part of the visa application, and the trip was then called off. According to the Haaretz report cited by Republika, Ben Gvir had planned to attend the wedding of the daughter of Miami-based Israeli businessman Yaakov Elharar, with travel costs covered by a private party. The plan drew scrutiny in Israel because rules limit the acceptance of travel benefits by officials. So far, neither Ben Gvir nor the US authorities have given an official explanation on whether the cancellation was directly tied to the visa issue.