Netanyahu in Washington again to meet with Trump to discuss tariffs and Gaza
The last time the two men met, Trump pledged to “take over” the Gaza Strip
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew on Sunday to Washington, D.C., where he will meet with President Donald Trump, the second time the two men have gotten together since Trump took office about 10 weeks ago.
The meeting on Monday, according to a statement from Netanyahu, will focus on the 17 percent tariffs that the United States recently slapped on Israel as part of its global imposition of duties on imported goods. Israel had eliminated tariffs on U.S. goods in a last-ditch effort to avert the Trump tariffs.
The two leaders will also discuss the future of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which was the focus of their previous meeting in February. An earlier Netanyahu statement said the two would also discuss Iran, which Trump has recently threatened and invited to negotiations over its nuclear program.
Netanyahu will travel to the United States fresh off a visit with another right-wing ally, Hungary’s Viktor Orban, who greeted the Israeli leader’s trip to Budapest by withdrawing from the International Criminal Court — a body that has charged Netanyahu with war crimes.
Netanyahu portrayed the White House visit as a demonstration of his close personal relationship with Trump. Israelis have begun gearing up for an election year in 2026, and the prime minister’s recent campaigns have centred on what he claims is his unmatched diplomatic prowess.
“I can tell you that I am the first international leader, the first foreign leader, who will meet with President Trump on the issue, which is so important to the Israeli economy,” he said of the tariffs. “There is a long line of leaders who want to this regarding their economies. I think that it reflects the special personal link, as well as the special ties between the US and Israel, which is so vital at this time.”
Netanyahu embarked on his foreign tour as he faces a web of crises at home. His aides have been arrested for alleged illicit ties with Qatar, he is seeking to fire his attorney general and domestic intelligence chief, and he has faced mass protests over the resumption of the war against Hamas, which is still holding 59 Israeli hostages.
This meeting may bring yet more controversy. The last time the two men met, during a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in which dozens of hostages were released, Trump doubled down on a plan to depopulate Gaza, and surprised listeners when he said the United States would “take over” the Gaza Strip. Those two proposals, which dominated discussions of the region for weeks, appear recently to have fallen off the public agenda.
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