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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump presented a united front and congratulated each other during their meeting. another meeting to discuss tensions in the Middle East.
On Monday, Netanyahu made his fifth visit to the United States since Trump’s inauguration in January, meeting with the president at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
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Their mutual flattery transformed into geopolitical alignment as the two leaders addressed the most pressing issues in the Middle East: Gaza and Iran.
Trump claimed that Israel was helping the people of Gaza and rejected Israel’s near-daily ceasefire violations.
Here are the key takeaways from Monday’s meeting.
Trump stresses Hamas must disarm
Before and after his meeting with Netanyahu, Trump stressed that Hamas must disarm, issuing a harsh threat to the Palestinian group.
Asked what would happen if Hamas refused to surrender its weapons, Trump replied: “It would be horrible for them, horrible. It’s going to be really, really bad for them.”
Last week, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington’s top priority was to move to the second phase of the ceasefire, which would see the establishment of a technocratic Palestinian administration and the deployment of an international police force.
But on Monday, Trump continued to focus on Hamas, repeating the claim that other countries had offered to “wipe them out” if the group refused to give up their weapons.
Israel has killed 414 Palestinians in Gaza since the ceasefire began in October, and continues to restrict the flow of international aid to the territory, including the provision of temporary shelters, despite deadly weather conditions in the makeshift tents.
Trump, however, said Israel was fully complying with its commitments under the deal – “100 percent.”
“I’m not concerned about anything Israel does,” he told reporters.
The United States threatens Iran
Trump suggested Washington would take further military action against Iran whether Tehran rebuilds its nuclear program or missile capacity.
The president kept returning to the oft-cited argument that the United States airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities in June paved the way for the ceasefire in Gaza.
“Now I hear that Iran is trying to rebuild itself, and if that’s the case, we’re going to have to take it down,” Trump said.
“We’re going to bring them down. We’re going to put them out of action. But I hope that doesn’t happen.”
In recent weeks, Israeli officials and their American allies have shifted their attention to Iran’s missile program, arguing that it must be addressed before it poses a threat to Israel.
When asked if the United States would support an Israeli attack targeting Iran missile programTrump said: “If they continue with the missiles, yes. Nuclear? Fast. OK? One will be: Yes, absolutely. The other will be: We will do it immediately.”
Iran has ruled out any negotiations on its missile program and has denied wanting to build a nuclear weapon.
Meanwhile, Israel is widely believed to have an undeclared nuclear arsenal.
Bromance Party
Since the early days of Israel’s genocidal war against Gaza, American media have suggested that the American president, first Joe Biden, then Trump, was angry or frustrated to Netanyahu.
But American military and diplomatic support for Israel has never been interrupted.
Ahead of Netanyahu’s visit, similar reports emerged of a potential rift between him and Trump.
Nevertheless, the two leaders put on a spectacle of brotherly romance on Monday..
Trump called Netanyahu a “hero,” noting that Israel might not have existed without his wartime leadership.
“We are with you, and we will continue to be, and a lot of good things are happening in the Middle East,” Trump told Netanyahu.
“We have peace in the Middle East and we’re going to try to keep it that way. I think we’ll be very successful in keeping it that way. And you’ve been a great friend.”
The American president also highlighted his efforts to obtain a presidential pardon for Netanyahu, who faces corruption charges in Israel.
The Israeli prime minister announced that the American president would receive the Israel Prize, which is normally awarded to Israeli citizens.
“I must say that this reflects the overwhelming feeling of Israelis on all sides,” Netanyahu said.
“They appreciate what you have done to help Israel and to contribute to our common battle against terrorists and those who would destroy our civilization. »
Netanyahu was notably not pardoned.
Trump calls for Israel-Syria rapprochement
One area where Trump appeared to pressure Netanyahu was Syria.
Trump said Netanyahu was “going to get along” with Syria, praising Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad last year, Israel has expanded its occupation of southern Syria beyond the Golan Heights, seizing large areas of Jabal al-Sheikh. The Israeli army also carried out raids, apparently kidnapping and disappearance people in the country.
Syria’s new authorities have stressed that they are not seeking conflict with Israel, but negotiations aimed at reaching a security agreement between the two countries have stalled.
“We have a deal on Syria,” Trump said. “Now with Syria, you have a new president. I respect him. He’s a very strong guy, and that’s what you need in Syria.”
Netanyahu has not committed to Israel’s approach to Syria.
“Our interest is to have a peaceful border with Syria,” he said. “We want to make sure that the border area right next to our border is safe: we don’t have terrorists, we don’t have attacks.”
On the resumption of the war in Lebanon: “We will see that. »
Since the start of the truce in Gaza, Israel has intensified its attacks in Lebanon, raising fears of a resumption of its full-scale war against the country.
Earlier this year, the Lebanese government issued a decree disarm Hezbollahbut the group pledged to keep its weapons to defend the country against Israel.
On Monday, Trump did not rule out a resumption of the conflict in Lebanon.
“We will see that,” the president replied when asked whether he would support more Israeli strikes in Lebanon.
“The Lebanese government is at a bit of a disadvantage, if you think about it, compared to Hezbollah. But Hezbollah behaved badly, so we’ll see what happens.”
