Ben Gvir Cancels Planned U.S. Trip Amid Visa Difficulties

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has canceled a planned trip to the United States following difficulties in obtaining an American entry visa.

According to a Channel 12 report, Ben Gvir had planned to fly to the U.S. to attend the private wedding of a person close to him. Several legal hearings in Israel had reportedly been canceled or postponed in advance because of the expected trip, including defamation cases filed by the minister against various journalists.

The trip was ultimately canceled after significant difficulties arose in the visa process.

In response to the reports, Ben Gvir’s office issued a statement presenting its version of events and criticizing the media coverage.

“Every Israeli citizen who requests a visa to the United States is required to provide fingerprints,” the statement said. “Minister Ben Gvir is not above the people, and since the main purpose of the trip is private, he chose not to use his status as a minister and requested a regular visa, exactly like every citizen.”

The office rejected criticism over the issue and said the minister should be praised rather than attacked for not seeking special treatment.

“Instead of praising a minister who acts like an ordinary person and does not ask for special treatment, you wonder why he did not use his status,” the statement continued. “There is no limit to the persecution and the attempt to turn everything into a headline.”

The cancellation comes amid ongoing political and legal scrutiny of Ben Gvir, whose public actions often draw intense attention. In this case, the minister’s office insists the matter was a routine visa issue connected to a private trip, not a political or diplomatic incident.