Former President Donald Trump, Republican presidential nominee, meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, US, July 26, 2024. Photo credit: AP
Former US President Donald Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday for their first face-to-face meeting in nearly four years, cementing a political alliance for the two men that was fractured after the Israeli leader angered Mr Trump by becoming one of the first to congratulate Joe Biden on his 2020 presidential win.
Asked by reporters if his U.S. visit would lead to progress toward a ceasefire in Gaza, Mr. Netanyahu said, “I hope so,” adding that Israel was eager for a deal.
Mr. Netanyahu handed Mr. Trump a framed photograph, which the Israeli leader said showed a child who had been held hostage by Hamas-led militants since the opening hours of the war. Mr. Trump assured him, “We’ll take care of it.”
Mr Trump’s campaign said he pledged at the meeting that if American voters elect him for president in November, he would “do everything possible to bring peace to the Middle East” and fight anti-Semitism on college campuses.
Mr Trump waited for Mr Netanyahu on the stone steps outside his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, where he warmly held the Israeli leader’s hand. Both men have a strong interest in restarting their relationship, including the political support and glow that comes from their alliance.
“We’ve always had a good relationship,” Trump insisted to reporters. When the two sat down for talks in a walled room and were asked if Netanyahu’s visit to Mar-a-Lago had improved their relationship, Trump replied, “It’s never been bad.”
As president, Donald Trump went further than any of his predecessors in fulfilling Mr. Netanyahu’s top wishes from the United States. Yet by the time Mr. Trump left the White House, relations had soured, with Mr. Trump publicly criticizing Netanyahu and calling him a disloyalist, despite efforts to mend ties.
For both men, the goal of Friday’s meeting was to present themselves to their domestic audiences in the United States and Israel as strong leaders who have accomplished great things on the world stage, and can do so again.
Mr Netanyahu’s visit to Florida followed a fiery address to a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday in which he defended his right-wing government’s conduct of the war and condemned US protesters incensed by the killing of more than 39,000 Palestinians in the conflict.
On Thursday, Mr Netanyahu met Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington. Both of them pressed the Israeli leader to work quickly on a ceasefire and agreement to release the hostages.
Mr Netanyahu is being accused domestically of prolonging the war to prevent the collapse of his government when the conflict ends.
For Mr. Trump, now the Republican presidential nominee, the meeting was a chance to build his image as an ally and statesman, as well as to step up Republican efforts to portray themselves as the party most loyal to Israel.
Divisions among Americans over US support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza have fractured years of strong bipartisan support for Israel, the biggest recipient of US aid.
For Mr Netanyahu, improving relations with Mr Trump is essential given the possibility that Mr Trump could once again become president of the United States, Israel’s key arms supplier and patron.