Trump embraces Netanyahu, cooling speculation of rift between two
Former US President Donald Trump gave Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a warm welcome at his Mar-a-lago resort in Florida on Friday, setting the mood for a highly anticipated meeting between the Israeli leader and Republican presidential nominee.
“Come on, let's get a good, beautiful picture,” Trump said, pulling Netanyahu into his chest for a tight handshake and greeting the Israeli premier’s wife with a kiss on both cheeks.
The meeting is the first between Netanyahu and former US president in four years. It comes as US-Israeli ties are under more pressure than at any time in recent history, as Israel's war in Gaza coincides with a tight 2024 presidential election race between Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump and Netanyahu enjoyed a close relationship during the former's term in office, but the ties hit a rough spot after Netanyahu congratulated Joe Biden for his 2020 election win, refusing to side with Trump’s debunked claims that the election was stolen from him.
“F**k him,” Trump told Axios at the time.
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The remarks have cast a shadow over the two leaders' relationship ever since, fueling speculation that if Trump returns to the White House, he might handle Israel differently if Netanyahu is still its leader.
On Friday, Trump appeared to pull a curtain over the episode, saying he "always had a very good relationship" with Netanyahu.
The tone of Trump and Netanyahu's meeting contrasted sharply with that of the Israeli leader's meeting with Harris.
'Radical'
The US vice president said she would not be "silent" on the suffering of besieged Palestinians in Gaza, even as she pledged support for Israel's security.
Harris's comment did not appease pro-Palestinian advocates, but she was attacked by Trump as a "radical" who was "disrespectful" to Israel.
Trump also kept to the pledge he made on the campaign trail to put the hostages held in Gaza at the centre of his policy, posing for a photo with a picture of a baby that Netanyahu said is still being held in Gaza. Trump said, "We'll get that taken care of".
Trump was a solidly pro-Israel president. He moved the US embassy to Jerusalem, froze US funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), recognised Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and took powerful military action against Iran like assassinating Qassem Soleimani, the top commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force.
Trump has continued his hawkish statements on Iran.
"If they do 'assassinate President Trump,' which is always a possibility, I hope that America obliterates Iran, wipes it off the face of the Earth — If that does not happen, American Leaders will be considered 'gutless' cowards!" he wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Thursday, referencing reports that Iran has a plot to kill Trump.
But Trump’s criticism of Netanyahu after the 2020 election and recent statements about Gaza added a new element to the visit.
Trump has not yet criticised the justification for Israel’s offensive, which has killed over 39,000 Palestinians. He said he would respond “very much the same way” if his family members had been killed by the Hamas-led attack on 7 October.
'Pure and unadulterated support'
However, in an interview with Fox News on Thursday, he also indicated he has little interest in seeing Israel continue fighting, which could put him at ends with Netanyahu, who has pledged to maintain overall security control of Gaza and inflict a “total victory” over Hamas, a goal US officials and analysts say is unreachable.
“I want him to finish up and get it done quickly," Trump said.
Trump has also criticised how Israel has portrayed its actions in the war, such as releasing social media videos that show bombs falling on Gaza.
“You got to get it done quickly because they are getting decimated with this publicity,” Trump told Fox News. “And you know, Israel is not very good at public relations.”
He also mentioned the protests that Netanyahu smeared during his address to Congress.
“For whatever reason you have Jewish people out there wearing yarmulkes and they’re, you know, pro-Palestine. You’ve never seen anything like this… They’ve got to get this done fast because the world is not taking lightly to it, it’s really incredible.”
Despite Trump's campaign rhetoric, analysts say that if Trump returns to the White House, there is no guarantee he will give a blank check to Israel.
Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East negotiator for Republican and Democratic presidents, said Netanyahu will not be able to count on “the sugar high” that Trump injected into Israel-US ties during his first term in office.
“Trump's perception of the US national interest is tethered to his political interest,” Miller said at an event hosted by the Middle East Institute on Thursday.
“I don’t think Benjamin Netanyahu can count on pure and unadulterated support from the Trump Administration.”
Trump is expected to take a hard line on Iran and is also likely to continue pursuing the Abraham Accords, which he brokered in 2020, normalising ties with Israel and the UAE, Morocco and Bahrain. The feather in the cap would be adding Saudi Arabia's name to that list of countries but it has proven to be the hardest to achieve.
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