When Benjamin Netanyahu meets U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, the Israeli prime minister is expected to try to turn the page on sometimes tense relations with the Biden White House as the two leaders address the future of the Gaza ceasefire and ways to counter Iran.
But Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to be hosted by Trump since the pro-Israel president’s Jan. 20 inauguration, could also come under pressure from an American leader whose policy goals for the Middle East may not always coincide with Netanyahu’s interests.
Their meeting coincided with the scheduled resumption of indirect negotiations this week between Israel and Hamas on the crucial second stage of the ceasefire deal and hostage release. The two men will hold a joint press conference and then have dinner together.
Ceasefire Agreement
The region is at a critical juncture, with the Gaza truce fragile, a parallel Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire agreement in Lebanon nearing possible expiration in the coming weeks, and concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions persisting despite its weakened state.
Adding to regional unease is Trump’s suggestion that Gazans should be moved to neighboring countries such as Egypt and Jordan, echoing the wishes of Israel’s far right and contradicting Biden’s commitment against mass displacement of Palestinians.
Arab states have rejected the idea.
But a senior U.S. official, when asked whether Trump was serious, appeared to defend the president, saying that he sees war-shattered Gaza as a “demolition site,” believes it will take 10-15 years to rebuild and it would be inhumane to force people to live on uninhabitable land.
The U.S., the official told reporters on Tuesday, will not impose a resolution but wants Arab partners and Israel to help craft “creative solutions” to the challenge.
In his first term, Trump handed Netanyahu a series of successes, including the relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv and the signing of the Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab states.
He remains a strong supporter of U.S. ally Israel, taking credit for helping broker the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas militants in the Palestinian enclave even before he returned to office while insisting he wants to end the wars in the Middle East.
Trump’s Stance
Trump has said he hopes to renew an effort toward historic normalization of relations between Israel and Arab power Saudi Arabia, and U.S officials said that goal, plus maintaining the Gaza ceasefire, would be a focus of the White House talks.
Trump’s broader regional ambitions have created uncertainty over how much leeway Trump will give Netanyahu. The prime minister faces demands from far-right members of his coalition threatening to topple his government unless he restarts the fighting in Gaza to fulfill his pledge to destroy Iran-backed Hamas. An ever-raging war would complicate if not block Trump’s attempt to bring the Saudis to the negotiating table.
Even so, Netanyahu is all but certain to have a better reception this time than he received from former President Joe Biden.
Though Biden maintained military support for Israel after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack that prompted the Israeli assault on Gaza, relations were strained at times over the high Palestinian civilian death toll and Netanyahu’s defiance of U.S. demands.
(with inputs from Reuters)
