President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu met to discuss tariffs and the Israel-Gaza conflict. Ahead of this meeting, President Trump held a joint phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and King Abdullah of Jordan.
This marks Netanyahu’s second visit to the White House since Trump took office. Netanyahu had also visited Trump in early February. Since their last meeting, the fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel has collapsed, prompting Israel to renew its military offensive in Gaza.
Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on both allies and adversaries has caused turmoil in global markets and strained relationships with traditional allies. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney remarked that the historic U.S.-Canada relationship is “over,” and Canada will need to drastically reduce its reliance on the U.S. A planned press conference between Netanyahu and Trump was unexpectedly canceled without explanation, a rare move as they both previously held a press conference during Netanyahu’s last visit.
Netanyahu’s visit comes at short notice, just days after Trump imposed a 17 percent tariff on Israel as part of his “Liberation Day” announcement. Despite Israel being the top recipient of U.S. military aid, Trump refused to exempt it from the global tariffs, citing Washington’s significant trade deficit with Israel.
On his way to Washington, Netanyahu stated they would discuss “achieving victory in Gaza” and the tariff regime imposed on Israel. “I’m the first international leader, the first foreign leader to meet with President Trump on a matter so crucial to Israel’s economy,” he said in a video statement.
In addition to tariffs, Netanyahu and Trump will also discuss Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire has ended, and escalating tensions with Iran. Trump greeted Netanyahu outside the West Wing, and the two leaders entered the Oval Office for their meeting.
Netanyahu met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer shortly after his arrival, and later met with Trump’s special Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
Trump told reporters that discussions would cover trade and “the obvious subject,” referring to tensions in the Middle East. “There’s a lot of things going on with the Middle East right now that have to be silenced,” he added.
On the Iran nuclear issue, Trump announced that the U.S. would hold direct talks with Iran starting Saturday, warning Tehran that it would be in “great danger” if the talks fail. He emphasized that the U.S. is committed to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Netanyahu expressed support for Trump’s diplomatic efforts with Iran, emphasizing that both Israel and the U.S. share the goal of ensuring Iran does not develop nuclear weapons.
