Israel PM to Meet Trump at White House for First Time Since Iran Conflict
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, marking their first in-person talks since the outbreak of the Iran war. The conflict began with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February and has been a point of public disagreement between the two leaders.
Relations between Netanyahu and Trump have occasionally appeared strained in recent months, but both have worked to de-escalate tensions. Tuesday's talks are expected to focus heavily on the war, as Washington signals a renewed willingness to pursue negotiations.
Israel has not participated in the latest round of hostilities between the United States and Iran, which escalated earlier this month after a ceasefire agreement collapsed in April.
This will be the eighth meeting between Netanyahu and Trump since Trump returned to office last year. Ahead of his departure from Israel on Monday, Netanyahu described the meeting as both a privilege and a responsibility. "We will discuss all the issues on the agenda, first and foremost Iran," he said. "Naturally, our goal is to safeguard our security and also to expand the circle of peace around us."
Relations between the two leaders reached a low point in April during ceasefire negotiations, with Trump reportedly using strong language against his Israeli ally. Trump later described Netanyahu as a "very difficult guy" in an interview. Netanyahu downplayed the exchanges as "tactical disagreements," stating that both sides remain aligned on the war's objectives.
On Tuesday, the leaders are expected to discuss the implementation of a US-facilitated framework deal signed by Israel and Lebanon last month, though its application on the ground has faced challenges. The talks may also address Gaza, where diplomatic efforts to rebuild the devastated region remain stalled.
Nearly three years after the Israel-Hamas war began, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. Israel continues to conduct military operations against targets it identifies as militants.
Yonatan Freeman, an international relations expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said the visit aims to dispel reports of a rift between the allies. "I think the main issue is to show the world, to show Iran, and even Lebanon and others, that there is no break or any major disagreement between the United States and Israel," he said. Freeman noted that differences between Trump and Netanyahu concern means—timeline, intensity, immediate objectives—rather than the war's ultimate goals.
Freeman added that Trump may prioritize Iran and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, a series of normalisation agreements between Israel and several Arab nations brokered during Trump's first term, over Gaza-related issues.
However, other analysts suggest the talks could address potential easing of Israel's military presence in the region, including in Lebanon, Syria, or Gaza.
Netanyahu's visit comes months ahead of Israel's national elections, in which he plans to seek another term. Recent polls show him trailing, with public anger persisting over his government's failure to prevent the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which sparked the ongoing conflict.
