Netanyahu Faces Trump in White House Showdown on Monday
- Netanyahu set for White House meeting with Trump on Monday
Get ready for a faceoff! On Monday, Benjamin Netanyahu is headed to the White House, staring down the barrel at a chat with Donald Trump. Trump announced earlier in the week that he was expecting his ally to drop by the Oval Office "real soon."
The agenda for this confrontation covers a plethora of topics, including Trump's recent imposition of a 17% tariff on Israeli imports. Catching even its closest partners off guard, Trump slapped tariffs on imports from almost every nation, including Israel.
Prior to the tariffs, Israel had eliminated the last remaining import tariffs on U.S. goods. With most U.S. imports already duty-free at 99%, the new tariffs have left Israel reeling. But Netanyahu is determined to make his case and try to secure more favorable trade terms in Washington.
The heads of foreign governments haven't graced the White House since the new tariffs went into effect, so Netanyahu will be the first on that list if talks between Trump and him take place as planned.
There's more to the meeting than just tariffs – talking points will likely cover the negotiations for a new ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages still being held by the radical Islamic Hamas. The Israeli military has intensified its air strikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip since mid-March, resuming hostilities in territory where a ceasefire had been in effect since January 19. The Israeli army has also initiated a ground operation in Palestinian territory.
Trump and Netanyahu are also expected to discuss their common adversary, Iran. Trump is eager to negotiate a new agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, but Iran, according to its own statements, is open to indirect negotiations with Washington. Tensions between the two nations have been high, with Trump threatening military intervention if no agreement is reached and Iran allegedly preparing for attacks on U.S. troops.1
It's rumored that Israel could join forces with the U.S. in strikes against Iranian facilities if negotiations fail, although no official details have been released.2
Lastly, the pair is expected to discuss the battle against the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November on charges of war crimes. The U.S. sanctioned the ICC's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, in February, accusing the court of abusing its power.3
- Donald Trump
- Benjamin Netanyahu
- U.S. President
- Israel
- Gaza Strip
- Iran
- USA
- Washington
- Future
- Partner
- Turkey
- During the anticipated meeting at the White House, both President Donald Trump and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to discuss various pressing matters, such as the tariffs recently implemented by Trump on Israeli imports, the negotiations for a new ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the battle against the International Criminal Court, and the shared adversary, Iran.
- In preparation for his meeting with Trump, President Netanyahu is determined to address the adverse impact of the imposition of a 17% tariff on Israeli imports by the United States, a move that came unexpectedly and left Israel reeling, considering most U.S. imports were already duty-free at 99%.
- As the heads of foreign governments have yet to visit the White House since the imposition of new tariffs, President Netanyahu will become the first on that list if he attends the scheduled talks with President Trump, set to take place in Washington.
