"I didn`t want to put him under pressure."Washington (ANTARA News) - Donald Trump announced Thursday he was postponing his planned trip to Israel, just a day after the Jewish states prime minister criticized the White House hopefuls inflammatory anti-Muslim proposals.
The frontrunner for the 2016 Republican nomination was scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on December 28, but changed course after his call for a ban on Muslims entering the United States met with a chorus of international condemnation.
Facing a backlash over his meeting with Trump, Netanyahus office on Wednesday issued a statement saying the prime minister "rejects" his remarks on Muslims, and that their planned encounter was simply in line with an established practice of meeting visiting US presidential candidates.
Trump explained his decision saying he did not want to put "pressure" on 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 US," he tweeted.
Speaking later on Fox News, Trump said: "I didnt want to put him under pressure."
Recalling he had once campaigned in support of Netanyahu, Trump insisted he had "a lot of friends from Israel and a tremendous amount of support from the people of Israel."
White House hopefuls often visit Israel as part of efforts to bolster their foreign policy credentials.
Beyond that, Netanyahu has regularly expressed support for Republicans, and the partys candidates have made firm US backing for Israel a central plank of their campaigns, AFP reported.
But the Trump visit had already stirred strong opposition in Israel, with a range of lawmakers opposing it because of his stance towards Muslims.
The White House weighed in on his decision, with spokesman Josh Earnest saying "most people are relieved that he reconsidered."
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