Their meeting coincided with the start of mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas on the crucial second stage of the ceasefire deal and hostage release.
Trump’s broader regional ambitions have created uncertainty over how much leeway Trump will give Netanyahu.
On Tuesday, Trump and Netanyahu will hold a joint press conference and have dinner together.
Trump quit an international nuclear deal with Tehran in 2018 and both he and Netanyahu have vowed to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, concerns have grown in Iran that the new president might give Netanyahu the go-ahead to hit its nuclear sites.
An overview.
businesses.
The first foreign leader to see Trump in his second term was Netanyahu.
The agenda includes Iran, Israel-Saudi normalization, and a ceasefire in Gaza.
Discussions took place at a pivotal moment for the Middle East.
According to Reuters, on February 4, Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with U. S. . The Israeli prime minister is anticipated to attempt to mend the occasionally strained relationship with President Donald Trump on Tuesday as the two leaders discuss the future of the ceasefire in Gaza and strategies to combat Iran.
The first foreign leader Trump has hosted since the pro-Israel president’s Jan. 20 inauguration, could also face pressure from a US leader whose Middle East policy objectives don’t always align with Netanyahu’s.
At the time of their meeting, Israel and Hamas began mediating the second stage of the ceasefire agreement and hostage release.
With the Gaza truce in jeopardy, a parallel ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon on the verge of expiring, and worries about Iran’s nuclear ambitions continuing despite its weak state, the region is at a turning point.
Trump’s proposal to relocate Gazans to nearby nations like Egypt and Jordan, which echoes the desires of Israel’s far right and goes against Biden’s pledge to prevent the mass displacement of Palestinians, further exacerbates unease.
The concept has been rejected by Arab states.
But a senior U. A. When asked if Trump was sincere, the official defended the president by claiming that he views Gaza’s destruction as a “demolition site,” that reconstruction will take ten to fifteen years, and that forcing people to live on uninhabitable land would be cruel.
The U. S. The official informed reporters on Tuesday that while a solution will not be imposed, the issue must be approached pragmatically, with Israel and its Arab allies assisting in the development of “creative solutions.”. “,”.
During his first term, Trump gave Netanyahu a number of achievements, such as moving the U. S. . The Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states, and the opening of an embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
He is still a big fan of U. S. ally Israel, claiming he wants to put an end to the Middle East wars and claiming credit for helping mediate the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas militants in the Palestinian enclave even before he returned to office.
Trump has expressed his desire to resume efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the dominant Arab nation, and the United States. S officials stated that the White House discussions would center on achieving that objective as well as upholding the ceasefire in Gaza.
The extent of Trump’s leniency toward Netanyahu has become unclear due to his larger regional goals. In order to fulfill his promise to destroy Iran-backed Hamas, the prime minister must resume fighting in Gaza, or face demands from far-right members of his coalition who threaten to overthrow his government. An ongoing conflict would make Trump’s efforts to engage the Saudis in negotiations more difficult, if not impossible.
But Netanyahu is almost guaranteed to be treated better this time around than he was by former President Joe Biden.
Even so, Biden continued to give Israel military support following Hamas’ Oct. At times, tensions arose over the high number of Palestinian civilian deaths and Netanyahu’s disobedience of U.S. policy following the attack on Gaza in 2023. A. requirements.
Trump and Netanyahu will have dinner and a joint press conference on Tuesday.
“NO ASSURANCES.”.
Before January, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, was instrumental in assisting the Biden administration in securing the long-awaited Gaza agreement. 20 United States power shift. A. During the first phase, Israel released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and Hamas released 18 hostages.
“We are now in Phase 2,” Witkoff informed reporters. He claimed to have met with Netanyahu on Monday to go over the terms of the policy talks and to have a meeting in the United States with the prime minister of Qatar, who is a dispute mediator. S. . on Thursday. .
Trump told reporters Monday that there were no guarantees the ceasefire would last.
Both Trump and Netanyahu have stated their desire to build a regional defense against Iran by involving Saudi Arabia in the Abraham Accords.
A potential barrier to a deal with Saudi Arabia, however, is Netanyahu’s unwavering opposition to any move toward a Palestinian state, a position that has gained support from an increasing number of Israelis since the Gaza war. In the past, Riyadh has demanded an agreement on a path to an independent Palestine, at the very least.
In Washington, which has been vocally critical of the ICC, the visit presents an opportunity for Netanyahu to strengthen his diplomatic standing. The ICC’s arrest warrant on war crime charges highlighted Netanyahu’s international isolation over the Gaza war.
Separate demonstrations are planned to coincide with Netanyahu’s visit to Washington by pro-Palestinian activists and those demanding the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
Netanyahu is expected to seek assurances of continued U.S. support from congressional leaders and other top Trump aides during his visit. S. weapons supplies.
The Biden administration had blocked a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, which Trump approved within days of his return to the White House.
Iran, which launched hundreds of missiles and drones against Israel last year, will be a major topic of discussion at Tuesday’s talks. The Israeli response was said to have severely damaged Tehran’s air defenses.
Both Trump and Netanyahu have pledged to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, and in 2018 Trump resigned an international nuclear agreement with Tehran. Iran’s worries have increased that the country’s new leader may allow Netanyahu to strike its nuclear facilities.
Steve Holland and Matt Spetalnick reported, with Trevor Hunnicutt, Kanishka Singh, Susan Heavey, and Katherine Jackson reporting in Washington. Howard Goller edited the piece.
