Mike Pence is facing snubs from church leaders and politicians across the Middle East when he visits later this month in the wake of Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
The leader of Egypt's Coptic Church has cancelled a meeting with Pence following last week's announcement and a senior Palestinian official has said Pence is not welcome in the occupied territories.
Pope Tawadros II said Trump's decision 'did not take into account the feelings of millions of Arab people' in a statement on Saturday. The leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt added the Church 'excused itself from hosting' Pence when he visits Cairo on December 20.
The Grand Imam of Cairo's Al-Azhar mosque has also said he would not meet Pence, according to Egyptian media.
'How can I sit with those who granted what they do not own to those who do not deserve it?' Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb said on Friday.
It comes after a Palestinian official said ministers 'will not receive him in the Palestinian territories', according to al-Jazeera.
But a White House official insisted Pence still plans to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, adding it 'would be counterproductive' for the Palestinian leader to cancel.
