Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited former United States President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida for talks, as Trump downplayed any tensions between the two. Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump, the Republican candidate in the November presidential election, occurred a day after meeting with Democratic President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Netanyahu’s visit to the US was met with widespread protests, boycotts from US lawmakers, and warnings from rights groups about Israel’s war on Gaza.
During the meeting, Trump criticized Harris for voicing concerns about the toll on Palestinian civilians from Israel’s assault on Gaza, calling her remarks disrespectful. Netanyahu announced that Israel would be dispatching a negotiating team to discuss a proposal for a Gaza ceasefire in Rome. Trump dismissed any suggestion of tensions with Netanyahu, stating that they had always had a perfect relationship.
Netanyahu’s visit followed an address to a joint session of the US Congress and meetings with Biden and Harris. His final US stop on the trip has been viewed as an effort to mend ties with Trump before the November election. Trump had taken a permissive and transactional approach to US-Israel ties during his presidency, empowering Netanyahu’s government while sidelining Palestinian interests.
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Before the meeting, officials told Israeli media that Netanyahu had already begun his charm offensive, calling Trump for the first time in years this month. During his speech to Congress, Netanyahu highlighted several of Trump’s actions while in office, including mediating the Abraham Accords and recognizing Israel’s claim to the Syrian-occupied Golan Heights.
After his address to Congress, Netanyahu met with Biden at the White House, where the US president pressed the Israeli leader on a US proposal for a Gaza ceasefire. The Biden administration has continued to provide political and weapons support to Israel during the conflict.
Netanyahu also met with Harris, who is officially on track to become the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee next month. Harris’s comments after the meeting were seen as an attempt to mediate the administration’s continued support for the war with the domestic political fallout it has caused. She pledged support for Israel while acknowledging the civilian toll of the war.
