In the 29 months that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s term as prime minister overlapped with former US president Joe Biden, he met with the president once in the White House. On Monday, Netanyahu is scheduled to hold his second meeting in the White House with President Donald Trump in just two and a half months.
That contrast speaks volumes. During the Biden years, access was rationed, tensions surfaced regularly, and there was often a sense of a crisis always lurking around the corner. Under Trump, the rhythm is entirely different: open doors, close coordination, and the sense of a looming crisis has been replaced by a working assumption of close alignment.
This hastily arranged visit differs from Netanyahu’s first one in early February, just two weeks after Trump’s inauguration. Netanyahu was the first foreign leader to meet Trump in the White House. That meeting was widely seen as symbolic – a way to publicly close the door on the tense Biden years when it took months for Biden to call Netanyahu, let alone invite him for a meeting.
That Trump invited Netanyahu so soon after the inauguration sent a signal that the relationship was now on an entirely different footing. If that meeting was largely symbolic – though there was also content, most significantly Trump’s surprise announcement of a vision to relocate Gazans – this meeting suggests something else: not only a relationship restored, but one moving in a distinctly different direction.
What is the meeting focusing on?
The meeting with Trump is expected to focus on several key issues: Israel’s renewed offensive in Gaza, the hostage crisis, Iran, growing tensions between Israel and Turkey, and Trump’s decision to slap 17% tariffs on Israeli products. In announcing his trip, Netanyahu said he would be the first foreign leader to meet face-to-face with the president about the new US tariffs, which, if they remain at 17% on Israel, will further burden an economy already strained by 18 months of war.
But beyond the issues, the very existence of the meeting itself is a signal that the relationship is on a different trajectory. That is a signal that Netanyahu is keen to send both to the Israeli public and the region.
As far as the region is concerned, the visit – taking place as Israel is extending its offensive in Gaza – will, unless Trump suddenly puts the brakes on the operation (something unlikely), be seen as a US endorsement of the new Israeli tactics. The two are expected to discuss the hostage situation and what further leverage can be applied on Hamas.
What is likely to be glaring is the lack of public declarations from the administration regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza, a constant feature of discussion with the Biden administration and often a source of public friction.
The Biden administration, while providing support for Israel, made it a point to publicly place guardrails on the IDF’s operations. Trump has not added those guardrails, and it would come as a surprise if he did so this time either – instead, likely continuing to give Netanyahu the green light to do what he deems necessary in Gaza to destroy Hamas and free the hostages.
The visit is also coming as Washington is paying increased attention to Iran. With Trump having warned the Iranians that they will either have to give up the bomb through negotiations or lose it through military action, this visit – where Iran, as always, will undoubtedly be a central topic of discussion – creates the impression that the US and Israel are coordinating on this issue.
The matter has taken on more urgency given the US military buildup in the region and its attacks on the Houthis in Yemen.
And a new issue, less prominent in previous meetings but one that has suddenly moved to the forefront – especially given Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s increasingly bellicose rhetoric toward Israel (last week he said he hoped Allah would destroy Israel) – is the matter of Israeli-Turkish relations.
With Turkey a US NATO ally, Washington is in a position to cool tensions between the countries that have risen as Ankara is eyeing increasing influence in Syria.
Last week, the IAF struck key Syrian airbases, reportedly to prevent Turkey from taking control of them. While Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan sought to lower the temperature, saying at a NATO meeting on Friday that Ankara is not looking for confrontation with Israel in Syria, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz made clear the strikes were also a message to Turkey – even if he didn’t mention the country by name. In a warning to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, he said Syria would pay a heavy price if it allowed “forces hostile to Israel to enter Syria and threaten Israeli security interests.”
Netanyahu is likely to raise the issue in Washington as part of a broader effort to ensure continued US understanding of Israel’s red lines in Syria, particularly at a time when Ankara is probing for openings. His meeting with Trump sends a signal to the Turks that Israel retains strong American backing.
As far as the Israeli public is concerned, the politics of the visit should not be overlooked. For Netanyahu, showing that he can pick up the phone, fly to Washington, and walk into the Oval Office without diplomatic turbulence is a reminder to voters, allies, and critics alike that when it comes to managing Israel’s most important foreign relationship, he still has no peer.
With this visit, Netanyahu is essentially saying: “Qatargate, schmatergate. While the Israeli media obsesses over Jonathan Urich and Eli Feldstein, I am navigating at the highest levels of diplomacy.” His message to the domestic audience: “You are dealing with distractions; I have an open door to the White House.”
There’s also political value in this meeting for Trump. Having a foreign leader come to Washington to discuss tariffs – and not just security – reinforces the message that his economic policies are working and that “America First” is not just a slogan but a framework foreign leaders must take seriously.
For Trump, Netanyahu’s visit can be presented as proof that his tough tariff talk is bringing world leaders to the table. It sends a signal to others: if you want favorable terms or to avoid penalties, you come to Washington and deal directly with the man in charge.
This plays directly into Trump’s preferred image – not just as a global power broker, but as a president whose economic leverage delivers results. With the stock markets sliding, it provides an opportunity to shift the narrative and highlight the international relevance of his trade agenda. In that sense, the meeting is mutually beneficial: both leaders are looking to score domestic points as criticism is mounting at home.
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