President Donald Trump visits the Western Wall, Monday, May 22, 2017, in Jerusalem. (AP/PTI Photo)
Jerusalem: President Donald Trump's brief visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial may prove to be the most explosive stop during a hypersensitive trip to Israel. While Trump touts his Jewish daughter and his strong support for Israel, he has suffered a series of missteps on Jewish issues and appeared cavalier at times about the Holocaust.
Nearly all foreign leaders make a pilgrimage to Yad Vashem's vast complex in Jerusalem during official trips to Israel and most visits typically last about an hour and a half and include a tour of the museum. Previous American presidents have had lengthy, emotional visits.
But Trump's team has allotted no longer than 30 minutes to Yad Vashem, citing the busy schedule of his 27-hour stay in Israel.
At Yad Vashem, Trump is supposed to participate in a short ceremony paying respect to the 6 million Jewish victims of the Holocaust, sign the guestbook and make brief comments before shuttling off to deliver a keynote speech elsewhere in Jerusalem.
Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev is expected to present Trump with a gift: an exact replica of the original Holocaust-era personal album that belonged to Ester Goldstein, who was murdered during the Holocaust at the age of 16. Ester's sister Margot Herschenbaum, the sole survivor of her immediate family, will be there to meet Trump.
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