Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, becoming the first foreign leader to plead directly against Washington’s broad new tariffs. The visit comes after Trump’s “Liberation Day” speech last week, where he implemented a 17% tariff on Israeli imports, claiming a substantial trade gap between the two countries.
Netanyahu’s unannounced trip to Washington marked his second visit since Trump’s return to power. “I’m the first international leader, the first foreign leader who will meet with President Trump on a matter so crucial to Israel’s economy,” Netanyahu stated before departing for the U.S. “There is a long line of leaders who want to do this. I think that is a true reflection of the special personal connection and the close relationship between Israel and the United States, so crucial at this moment.
No Joint Press Conference Held
The two leaders, who wore identical dark suits and red ties, exchanged warm greetings on the West Wing steps before entering the Oval Office. The scheduled joint press conference was, however, abruptly canceled without public reason. When Netanyahu visited before, both leaders had addressed the press and engaged in a media event, so this departure was noteworthy.
Before the official meeting, Netanyahu met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Sunday evening. He also met with Trump’s special Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, on Monday.
Trump commented to reporters a day earlier, “We’re going to talk about trade, and we’re going to talk about the obvious subject. There’s a lot of things going on with the Middle East right now that have to be silenced.”
Focus on Gaza Conflict and Hostages
The Gaza conflict and the suspended release of hostages continue to be U.S.-Israel priority issues. The war flared up again after Hamas conducted a deadly attack on Israel in October 2023, prompting Israel to resume intense bombardment of Gaza by March 18. A U.S.-facilitated ceasefire between Egypt and Qatar fell apart soon after.
Netanyahu put the importance of talking about “the hostages, winning in Gaza, and naturally the tariff regime that has also been applied to Israel” up front.
Trump has come out in staunch support of Israel during the conflict, putting all blame on Hamas for failing to release hostages. In the meantime, the U.S. government has pretty much brushed off global outrage after an Israeli air attack killed 15 medics and rescuers in Gaza last month. Israel’s military chief subsequently directed a “deeper” investigation into the incident.
International Diplomacy in Motion
As the Netanyahu-Trump summit went on, other world leaders demanded renewed efforts at peace. French President Emmanuel Macron, on a visit to Cairo, stated that he had organized a call with Trump and the Egyptian and Jordanian leaders. The leaders collectively urged an immediate return to the truce in Gaza and reaffirmed that the Palestinian Authority must rule Gaza after the war—rejecting Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. “own” the territory.
Iran and Regional Security Issues
Iran’s nuclear ambitions were also a major point of contention. Trump is calling for direct negotiations with Tehran to renegotiate a new nuclear deal. In reply, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai said that the offer from Tehran for indirect negotiations is “generous, responsible and wise.”
With threats of spiraling conflict, speculation remains that Israel—perhaps with U.S. support—may attack Iranian nuclear sites if negotiations don’t work out.
Background of ICC Tensions and International Criticism
Netanyahu’s trip to Washington came after a stop in Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared Hungary’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu regarding the Gaza conflict.
Netanyahu and Orban both called Trump by phone last Thursday, according to reports, paving the way for Monday’s high-stakes Oval Office meeting.
