Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump met again to discuss tensions in the Middle East, presenting a united front and praising each other.
On Monday, Prime Minister Netanyahu made his fifth visit to the United States since Trump took office in January, meeting with the president at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
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Their mutual flattery gave way to geopolitical alignment as the two leaders grappled with the most pressing issues in the Middle East, Gaza and Iran.
President Trump has insisted that Israel is supporting Gaza residents and denied Israel’s near-daily violations of the ceasefire.
Key takeaways from Monday’s meeting include:
President Trump insists Hamas must disarm
Before and after his meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Trump stressed that Hamas must disarm and issued harsh threats to the Palestinian group.
Asked what would happen if Hamas refused to lay down its weapons, Trump said: “It would be horrible for them, it would be horrible. It would be really, really bad for them.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that Washington’s top priority is to move to the second phase of the ceasefire, which would see the establishment of a technocratic Palestinian government and the deployment of international police.
But on Monday, President Trump continued to focus on Hamas, repeating his claim that other countries are offering to “wipe out Hamas” if it refuses to lay down its weapons.
Israel has killed 414 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire began in October and continues to restrict the flow of international aid to the Strip, including providing temporary shelter, even as people suffer deadly weather conditions in makeshift tents.
But President Trump said Israel was fully fulfilling “100 percent” of its commitments under the agreement.
“I have no concerns about Israel’s actions,” he told reporters.
US threatens Iran
President Trump has indicated that the United States will take further military action against Iran if it rebuilds its nuclear program and missile capabilities.
The president continued to return to the oft-cited claim that U.S. airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities in June paved the way for a ceasefire in Gaza.
“Now we’re hearing that Iran is trying to rise again, and if that’s the case, we’re going to have to defeat Iran,” Trump said.
“We’re going to beat them. We’re going to beat the hell out of them. But hopefully that doesn’t happen.”
In recent weeks, Israeli officials and U.S. allies have shifted their focus to Iran’s missile program, arguing that it must be dealt with before it poses a threat to Israel.
Asked if the United States would support an Israeli attack on Iran’s missile program, Trump said: “If they continue with the missiles, yes. Nuclear? Fast. Okay? One, yes. Absolutely. The other is, we would do it immediately.”
Iran has ruled out negotiations over its missile program and denies seeking to build nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, Israel is widely believed to have an undeclared nuclear arsenal.
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Since the early days of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, US media reports have suggested that US presidents, first Joe Biden and then Trump, were angry or frustrated with Netanyahu.
However, US military and diplomatic support for Israel has never been interrupted.
Ahead of Netanyahu’s visit, there were similar reports about a possible rift between him and President Trump.
Nevertheless, the two leaders showed off their brotherly love on Monday..
President Trump called Prime Minister Netanyahu a “hero” and emphasized that Israel might not exist without Netanyahu’s wartime leadership.
President Trump told Prime Minister Netanyahu: “We are with you and we will always be with you. There is a lot of good happening in the Middle East.”
“We brought peace to the Middle East, and we’re going to work to keep it. I think we’ll be very successful in keeping it. And you’ve been a great friend.”
The US president also highlighted efforts to secure a presidential pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces corruption charges in Israel.
The Israeli Prime Minister announced that he will award the Israel Prize, which is normally given to Israeli citizens, to the US president.
“I have to say that this reflects the overwhelming sentiment of Israelis from all walks of life,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said.
“They thank you for helping Israel and supporting our common fight against terrorists and those who seek to destroy civilization.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu has not been pardoned.
President Trump calls for closer cooperation between Israel and Syria
One area where President Trump appears to have put pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu was Syria.
President Trump praised Syrian President Ahmed al-Shalah, saying Netanyahu was “going to get along” with Syria.
Since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad last year, Israel has expanded its occupation of southern Syria beyond the Golan Heights, seizing vast swathes of Jabal al-Sheikh. The Israeli military has also carried out raids, and there are reports of people being abducted or missing within the country.
The new Syrian authorities have emphasized that they are not seeking conflict with Israel, but negotiations for a security agreement between the two countries have stalled.
“When it comes to Syria, we understand,” President Trump said. “Now Syria has a new president. I respect him. He’s a very strong person and that’s what Syria needs.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu has not been positive about Israel’s approach to Syria.
“Our interest is in establishing a peaceful border with Syria,” he said. “We want to make sure that the border area adjacent to our border is safe. There are no terrorists, there are no attacks.”
On restarting the war in Lebanon: “We’ll see about that.”
Since the beginning of the ceasefire in Gaza, Israel has stepped up attacks on Lebanon, raising fears that it will resume a full-scale war against the country.
Earlier this year, the Lebanese government issued a decree disarming Hezbollah, but the group vowed to keep its arms to protect the country from Israel.
On Monday, President Trump did not rule out the possibility of a flare-up of the conflict in Lebanon.
Asked if he supported further Israeli attacks in Lebanon, the president said: “We’ll see about that.”
“If you think about it, the Lebanese government is at a bit of a disadvantage against Hezbollah. But Hezbollah has been misbehaving, so we’ll see what happens.”
