Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed for Washington on Monday, saying he would hold his first face-to-face talks with US President Donald Trump since the start of their countries' conflict with Iran.
It will be Netanyahu's eighth meeting with Trump since the US president returned to office, and their first since February, shortly before Israel and the United States launched a joint aerial campaign against Iran.
In a video statement before departing, Netanyahu said the current period called for both great determination and great wisdom, adding that the two leaders would discuss the full range of issues on the agenda, with Iran at the forefront, and that Israel's goals remain protecting its security and expanding the circle of peace around it.
Israel did not take part in the two-week US bombing campaign against Iran this month, which prompted Tehran to fire on US bases in response. Trump halted the campaign over the weekend, and Iran has said it will suspend its own attacks for as long as the US pause holds. Israel, for its part, has warned Tehran that any attack would trigger a forceful Israeli response.
Strains between allies
Netanyahu has acknowledged in recent weeks that he and Trump have had some differences, as Israeli and US interests in the region have appeared to diverge. The strain between the two leaders was laid bare by an acrimonious phone call in June, in which Trump reportedly used a profanity to dismiss Netanyahu as "crazy," a remark first leaked to the media and later confirmed publicly by Trump himself.
In an apparent gesture toward Trump, Israel said on Sunday it would allow a multinational security force to enter parts of Gaza, as proposed under Trump's peace plan for the territory. On 21 July, Israel announced it had redeployed some of its forces in southern Lebanon, as part of US-backed agreements reached with Lebanese authorities in recent weeks.
A boost at home?
A meeting with Trump that showcases what has traditionally been a close relationship between the two leaders could help Netanyahu domestically, where he faces an election on 27 October and is struggling in opinion polls. It also comes as support for Israel in the United States has been declining.
Source: Reuters
