A White House official confirmed that Netanyahu is expected at the White House on Monday [Getty Images/archive photo]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit the White House on Monday, according to a senior US official.
It comes amid President Donald Trump’s shock imposition of 17 percent tariffs on Israeli imports, an elusive search for a ceasefire in Gaza, and mounting concern over Iran’s nuclear programme.
If the two men discuss tariffs, as seems nearly certain, Netanyahu would be the first foreign leader to travel to Washington in an attempt to negotiate a better deal with Trump.
Israel had attempted to duck the tariffs imposed on nearly every country by moving pre-emptively Tuesday – a day before Trump’s big global tariff announcement – to drop all remaining duties on the one percent of American goods still affected by them.
But Trump moved ahead with the tariffs, saying the United States had a significant trade deficit with its Middle East ally and top beneficiary of military aid.
A White House official on Saturday confirmed that Netanyahu is expected at the White House on Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.
Trump had said Thursday that he expected a visit soon from Netanyahu – “maybe even next week” – though the Axios website said Israeli officials and even some in the Trump administration were caught by surprise.
The US and Israeli leaders are likely to take up stalled efforts to reach a new agreement on a Gaza ceasefire deal and the return by Hamas of remaining captives. Israel renewed military operations there last month, ending a short-lived truce.
Trump meanwhile has pressed Iran, so far amid few signs of progress, for a new deal on its nuclear programme. There has been widespread speculation that Israel, possibly with US help, might launch a military strike on Iranian facilities if no agreement is reached.
Netanyahu’s US visit, originally expected to take place later this month, appears to have been moved up following the tariff announcement Wednesday, Axios reported.
Trump and Netanyahu had spoken by phone on Thursday about Hungary’s decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the possibility of the Washington visit apparently arose at that time.
Netanyahu is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes in Gaza, and Hungary, to which the Israeli premier arrived on Thursday for a visit, was a member of the court.
But withdrawal from the ICC would take effect one year from when the decision was made, which means Hungary has a “fundamental obligation to arrest and surrender Benjamin Netanyahu to the ICC,” according to Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
