Israeli PM would be the first overseas chief to fulfill US president at White Home since his second inauguration final week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will go to the White Home subsequent week, making him the primary overseas chief to fulfill with Donald Trump in Washington, DC, since the USA president’s return to energy.
The Israeli authorities confirmed on Tuesday that Trump invited Netanyahu the White Home on February 4.
The announcement comes days after Trump known as for Gaza to switch its inhabitants to Jordan and Egypt — a proposal that was swiftly rejected by regional leaders, who likened it to ethnic cleaning.
Trump has taken credit score for a fragile ceasefire settlement in Gaza that went into impact the day earlier than his inauguration.
The deal has to this point seen a short lived finish to the preventing and the discharge of seven Israeli captives and a whole bunch of Palestinian prisoners. The pause has additionally allowed a whole bunch of hundreds of Palestinians to return residence to northern Gaza.
The Trump administration additionally brokered an extension to the truce in Lebanon, which successfully pushed the deadline for Israel’s full withdrawal from the nation — initially set for Monday — to February 18.
US President Donald Trump has invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a gathering within the White Home on Tuesday, 4 February 2025.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is the primary overseas chief to be invited to the White Home throughout US President Trump’s second time period.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) January 28, 2025
However tensions are operating excessive within the area, risking renewed preventing in each Gaza and Lebanon, with Netanyahu repeatedly threatening a return to the struggle.
Regardless of stressing his function in securing the ceasefire settlement in Gaza, Trump mentioned final week he’s “not assured” that the deal will maintain.
“That’s not our struggle; it’s their struggle,” the US president instructed reporters.
The US offers Israel with billions of {dollars} annually in navy assist. In considered one of his first decrees, Trump froze nearly all worldwide assist, apart from navy help to Egypt and Israel.
Final week, Trump additionally authorised the switch of 900kg (2,000-pound) bombs to Israel, which had been paused by his predecessor, former US President Joe Biden, in Could of final yr.
Netanyahu, a frontrunner for whom the Worldwide Legal Courtroom (ICC) issued an arrest warrant over alleged struggle crimes in Gaza, expressed gratitude for that call on Sunday.
“Thanks, President Trump, for preserving your promise to present Israel the instruments it must defend itself, to confront our frequent enemies and to safe a way forward for peace and prosperity,” the Israeli prime minister mentioned in a social media put up.
Trump has been staunchly pro-Israel. Throughout his first time period, he moved the US embassy to Jerusalem and recognised Israel’s claims to Syria’s occupied Golan Heights.
However as a candidate and in his inauguration speech final week, Trump promised to pursue peace in US overseas coverage.
“We are going to measure our success not solely by the battles we win, but in addition by the wars that we finish. And, maybe most significantly, the wars we by no means get into,” he mentioned after taking the oath of workplace.
“My proudest legacy will probably be that of a peacemaker and unifier.”
