US President Donald Trump stated on Saturday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested a meeting with him at the White House. According to Trump, these high-level talks could take place as early as next week following his return from the upcoming NATO summit.
Referring to his relationship with the Israeli leader, Trump confidently remarked, “We get along very good. [Netanyahu] knows who the boss is,” Axios reported.
Timing and Scheduling Uncertainties
If the meeting goes ahead, it will mark the first face-to-face talks between the two leaders since their Situation Room meeting in February, where Netanyahu outlined a proposal for a joint military campaign against Iran.
However, the exact timing remains up in the air:
- The NATO Factor: Trump is scheduled to travel to Turkey for the NATO summit on July 7–8.
- Potential Delay: An Israeli official noted that a meeting next week might be mathematically tight, suggesting, “It might take place the week after.”
According to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu called Trump on Friday to congratulate him on the 250th anniversary of United States’ Independence Day. Their office stated that both leaders “agreed to meet soon in the United States” and emphasized that Israel greatly values its close relationship with the U.S. as a “guarantor of global freedom.”
Growing Behind-the-Scenes Tensions
Despite the public pleasantries, insiders suggest that relations between the two administrations have grown increasingly strained since their February meeting.
“Many of Trump’s closest advisers think that Bibi was wrong about everything.”
— An anonymous US official
Reports indicate that Trump heavily criticized Netanyahu during a phone call last month regarding Israel’s military escalation in Lebanon, allegedly calling the prime minister “crazy” and pointing to a lack of gratitude.
These internal rifts have also exposed deeper divisions within the Republican Party:
- The MAGA Faction: Figures like Tucker Carlson have publicly accused Trump of being overly beholden to Netanyahu.
- Policy Divergence: Over the past two months, the two leaders have increasingly split on national security priorities, regional policy, and domestic political interests.
Shifting Regional Strategy
The friction comes amidst major policy shifts by the Trump administration. Last month, despite Netanyahu’s reported reservations, Trump signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) extending a ceasefire with Iran while simultaneously kickstarting fresh nuclear negotiations.