Melania Trump To Host Sara Netanyahu While Husbands Meet In White House

By Nathan Guttman February 13, 2017

First Lady Melanie Trump, a rare visitor to Washington, will stop by this week to host Sara Netanyahu during her husband’s visit to the White House.

Israeli sources said that Sara Netanyahu, scheduled to arrive in Washington Monday night, will be hosted by the first lady while her husband prepares for his meeting with President Trump. Melania Trump does not reside in the White House and spends most of her time at the family’s home in Trump Tower in New York.

Sara Netanyahu will arrive in Washington while in the midst of a police investigation in Israel into expensive gifts she allegedly received from a family friend, including champagne and jewelry.

The Netanyahus will stay at Blair House, across the street from the White House, a privilege granted at times by the president to visiting dignitaries and one that was denied from Netanyahu during some of his visits with former President Obama. Joining the couple will be their son Yair, 26, who, just like Trump’s children, is becoming increasingly involved in his father’s political activity and decision making process.

Israeli media has speculated that Yair Netanyahu will eventually enter politics.

Contact Nathan Guttman at [email protected]

Nathan Guttman, staff writer, was the Forward’s Washington bureau chief. He joined the staff in 2006 after serving for five years as Washington correspondent for the Israeli dailies Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post. In Israel, he was the features editor for Ha’aretz and chief editor of Channel 1 TV evening news. He was born in Canada and grew up in Israel. He is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO