National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was required to arrive at the US Embassy in Israel to provide fingerprints as part of his visa application - and after being required to do so, he announced the cancellation of his scheduled flight.
The minister planned to fly to the US to attend a private event, and hold a meeting billed as a "political meeting.".
It should be noted that the minister is entitled to receive a diplomatic visa like the other ministers in the government.
The requirement to provide a fingerprint is unusual, given the fact that the minister holds a diplomatic passport, a procedure that is not customary for elected officials at this level, who are not required to go through the bureaucratic processes that ordinary citizens go through.
Ben Gvir's office said: "Every Israeli citizen who applies for a visa to the US is required to provide fingerprints. Minister Ben Gvir is not a high-ranking official, and since the main part of the trip is private, he chose not to exploit his status as a minister and requested a regular visa just like any other citizen. Instead of praising a minister who acts like a human being and does not ask for special treatment for himself, you wonder why he did not exploit his status. There is no limit to persecution and the attempt to turn everything into a headline.".
