Netanyahu and Trump to Mend Rift with Mar-a-Lago Meeting

As president, Donald Trump went above and beyond to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s top requests from the United States. Despite this, their relationship soured when Netanyahu quickly congratulated Joe Biden on his 2020 presidential victory, leading to a fallout by the time Trump left office.

On Friday, they will reunite face-to-face for the first time in nearly four years, aiming to mend their relationship. Both leaders have reasons to reconcile. For Trump, the meeting could enhance his image as an ally and statesman and strengthen the Republican portrayal as the party most loyal to Israel. This comes at a time when American support for Israel’s actions in Gaza is causing political divisions.

Netanyahu, who is in the U.S. to address Congress and meet with Biden, sees repairing ties with Trump as crucial, considering Trump could potentially return to the presidency. This is significant for Israel, which relies heavily on U.S. military support and diplomatic protection.

For both Trump and Netanyahu, the meeting at Mar-a-Lago will serve to demonstrate their capabilities as strong leaders who can achieve significant accomplishments on the world stage. Netanyahu faces a political gamble, considering whether he might secure better terms for a Gaza ceasefire, hostage release, and a potential normalization deal with Saudi Arabia by waiting for a possible Trump presidency.

Netanyahu has long aligned himself with the Republican Party, noted Aaron David Miller, a former U.S. diplomat now at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This alignment means that for the next six months, Netanyahu must work on mending ties with Trump.

Trump severed ties with Netanyahu in early 2021 after Netanyahu was among the first world leaders to congratulate Biden, ignoring Trump’s baseless claims of election victory. “Bibi could have stayed quiet,” Trump said in an interview, calling it a “terrible mistake.”

Their last meeting was at the White House in September 2020 for the signing of a significant diplomatic accord brokered by Trump, where the UAE and Bahrain agreed to normalize relations with Israel. This marked a historic step towards easing tensions and broadening economic ties with Arab neighbors.

Post-break, Trump felt Netanyahu was disloyal despite his efforts for Israel. He also criticized Netanyahu for being unprepared for the October 7 Hamas attacks that escalated the Gaza conflict.

In his recent speech to Congress, Netanyahu acknowledged Biden’s support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza but lavishly praised Trump for his historical contributions, including U.S. recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a tougher stance on Iran, and declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel.

Trump appreciated Netanyahu’s praise, yet he continued to criticize Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza, which has resulted in over 39,000 Palestinian deaths. Trump urged Netanyahu to conclude the conflict quickly, critiquing Israel’s public relations efforts. “Israel is not very good at public relations,” Trump commented.