President Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Israel's Western Wall, a White House official said Monday.
"Historical moment: @POTUS @realDonaldTrump visits the Western Wall, making him the first sitting #POTUS to do so," White House social media director Dan Scavino Jr. said on Twitter.
Images of the president's visit appear to show him placing a note in the wall–as is customary. Trump donned a yarmulke for the visit.
Historical moment: @POTUS @realDonaldTrump visits the Western Wall, making him the first sitting #POTUS to do so. pic.twitter.com/lADH6hmBvZ
— Dan Scavino Jr. Archived (@Scavino45) May 22, 2017
Wearing a yarmulke, Pres Trump, the First Lady and son-in-law Jared Kushner visit the Western Wall escorted by rabbis. pic.twitter.com/ktjUKpAVuE
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) May 22, 2017
NBC reports that Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama only visited the Western Wall as private citizens, not when they were serving as leader of the free world.
The visit came hours after Trump touched down in Israel, the second stop of his world tour. Trump was greeted at the airport by Israeli leaders -- and travelled via helicopter to the nation's capital to visit holy sites.
Trump was joined at the Western Wall by his wife, Melania, and daughter, Ivanka. They too placed notes in the wall.
Ivanka Trump and First Lady Melania Trump touch the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City pic.twitter.com/lnVvAnRhl8
— Elliot Wagland (@elliotwagland) May 22, 2017
Trump's first stop on his world tour was Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he pledged to fight Islamist extremism at a summit of Muslim leaders.
The president's flight from Riyadh to Tel Aviv also made history — as it's considered one of the first direct flights between the two cities.
Trump intends to meet with the Palestinian leader Tuesday and later to visit the Vatican, Brussels, and Italy.