‘Netanyahu knows who the boss is,’ says Trump as he is set to meet Israeli PM in the White House
US President Donald Trump will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House in a first meeting since February. The meeting comes at a crucial time for the Israeli PM, who has kickstarted his campaign for upcoming October elections.US President Donald Trump is likely to meet Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House this month(REUTERS)US President Donald Trump on Saturday (local time) said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sought a meeting with the Republican President at the White House, adding that it could take place as soon as next week.Trump announced the upcoming meeting with Netanyahu on Axios and said, "We get along very good. [Netanyahu] knows who the boss is," and said that his meeting with the Israeli PM would take place after he returns from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit.Trump to meet Netanyahu: Here's what we knowCiting an Israeli official, the report said that the proposed meeting next week might be too soon to take place because of the US President's trip to Ankara, where the NATO summit is set to take place on 7-8 July. The official added, "It might take place the week after."The development comes after Netanyahu's office on Friday (local time) called Trump to congratulate him on the 250th Independence Day of the United States. His office added, "During their conversation, the Prime Minister said that the United States is a guarantor of global freedom, and that Israel greatly values the close relationship between the two nations. Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump agreed to meet soon in the United States."The meeting between Trump and Netanyahu would be the first since the two leaders met in February in a dramatic Situation Room meeting where the latter presented his plan to launch a joint war against Iran.Netanyahu's upcoming meeting with Trump at the White House could prove beneficial for the Israeli minister as he commences his campaign for the upcoming elections in October, where polls currently have him trailing.Trump-Netanyahu tiesTies between the two leaders have worsened since the US announced a ceasefire in April with Iran, a move that did not align with Netanyahu's regime change plan in the Islamic Republic. According to the report, those around the US President are now becoming increasingly skeptical and disillusioned with Netanyahu in the months following their February meeting.A US official said, "Many of Trump's closest advisers think that Bibi was wrong about everything." In a phone call last month, Trump slammed Netanyahu over Israel's escalation in Lebanon, calling the latter "crazy" and accusing him of being ungrateful.The straining of ties occurred as the two leaders, who were once the closest allies, have parted ways in the last two months amid the war and other regional issues on national security and foreign policy objectives, along with their political interests at home.The US President also pressed Netanyahu to halt the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)'s offensive in Lebanon, since the fighting became an obstacle to the Iran talks, and to sign a framework agreement that sought the IDF's initial withdrawal from Beirut's south.Despite the Israeli PM's reservations about signing an agreement with Tehran, Trump signed a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to extend the ceasefire with the Islamic Republic and launch fresh nuclear talks, a deal that Netanyahu was not made a part of.Earlier this week, The Washington Post reported that the US warned Tehran of Israel's possible plan to kill its top negotiators, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, underscoring the worsening ties between Washington and Tel Aviv.While an official confirmation regarding the meeting between the two leaders is pending, the focus will be on whether Netanyahu is able to woo the US President once again and restore the ties.About the AuthorSwati GandhiSwati Gandhi is a digital journalist
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