According to the media, Netanyahu's impromptu journey on April 6, from Budapest – where he was on an official visit – in Washington, would have been on a moving invitation by Trump, was mainly designed to face the effect on Israel of the declared World War declared by Trump. But he also dealt with the question of Iran's nuclear capacity, the war continues in the Gaza Strip and the hostage problem.
In this context of expectations, which really happened in Trump-Nentanyahu talks, followed by a meeting with the American and Israeli media, suggested that from an Israeli point of view, the event was a total failure.
First of all, Trump refused to retreat from the 17% rate he had imposed on Israeli exports to the United States, adding a comment that Israel should not complain but be recognizing for $ 4 billion in military aid that it receives from the United States each year.
Regarding Iran's nuclear plans, Trump announced that the United States was about to open direct talks with the Iranian government on Saturday, April 12. Trump added that if the talks fail, Iran “will be in great danger” – implying that there would be an attack on Iran, but adding that Israel would be “the chief” in such an attack.
As we know, Netanyahu has always been against negotiations and agreements with Iran on its nuclear activities, preferring the use of force to destroy Iran's nuclear ambitions. It was Netanyahu who had convinced Trump, during his first mandate as president, to withdraw from the agreement signed by President Barack Obama with Iran.
Netanyahu has apparently heard of new talks with Iran just before he and Trump meet the media. However, that did not prevent his glum facial expression, while Trump happily informed the press of potential talks.
On the one hand, Trump used the hostage problem to give Netanyahu what seemed to be a compliment in reverse, suggesting that the latter does his best to release hostages, and should be appreciated for this in Israel “because he was a great leader”. (In fact, most Israelis do not believe that Netanyahu is doing her best on this issue.)
On the other hand, which the president said about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared as a neglecting blow under the belt. Trump commented that he loved Erdogan, and that Erdogan loves him, even if Erdogan had declared in a mosque in Istanbul the previous week that “I wish that destruction and ruin become Israel and Zionism, after what he does in Palestine”.
In addition, Erdogan repeatedly refers to Israel as a “terrorist state” which threatens “the stability of the region”, with a particular reference in Lebanon and Syria, while acting in “barbaric” against civilians in Gaza.
Regarding tensions between Turkey and Israel, Trump simply declared that if Netanyahu had a problem with Turkey, he should turn to him and that he can solve him, “as long as you [i.e., Netanyahu] are reasonable ”.
Netanyahu spin
While riding his plane in Israel, Netanyahu put a positive turn to his visit, which he described as “very warm and friendly”.
Although he was surprised by Trump's announcement on talks with Iran, he stressed that they both agree that Iran should be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons and that if talks were to fail, the military option should be adopted.
Netanyahu expressed his gratitude for Trump's declaration that he (Bibi) worked hard to bring the hostages home. He added that they had spoken to find target states ready to absorb a large number of gasans “because that is what should happen”. Netanyahu also spoke positively about Trump's offer to help his relations with Erdogan.
Regarding trade relations between Israel and the United States, Netanyahu added that he had told Trump that Israel would reduce the American trade deficit with Israel to zero and that Trump had expressed his gratitude. “This is the least we can do for the United States and its president, which does so much for us,” said Netanyahu.
According to Israeli figures, in 2024, Israel's imported products and services worth $ 15.8 billion ($ 9.1 billion in goods and $ 6.7 billion in service), and exported $ 37.2 billion ($ 14.3 billion in goods and $ 22.9 billion) – $ 21.4 billion in favor of Israel.
Even if Israel had to pay all the weapons it receives from the United States for free thanks to military aid, its positive trade balance with the United States would still be large.
It is clear that Netanyahu was trying to please Trump and avoiding a semblance of what had happened to the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to the White House on February 28. Zelensky refused to accept Trump's disrespectful and condescending conduct towards him and was expelled from the White House.
However, Netanyahu's suction to Trump on this issue was really embarrassing, especially since the Trump of Trade War Declaration on all (now delayed by nine months) has no economic sense, and the “concession” of Netanyahu does not make any sense either.
In fact, representatives of the government in Israel responsible for the trade in Israel with the United States have no idea how the Israel’s commercial lake with the United States can be abolished without damaging Israel’s economic interests.
In an article on the protruding facts of the meeting of Trump-Netanyahu, Alex Traiman, CEO and head of the office of Jerusalem of the Union of New Jews on the right, said that Trump had once again talked about his plan to move a million or more Palestinians or more of the Gaza Strip to other countries.
According to Trainman, this would move “the whole balance of powers in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, transforming the Palestinians of a demographic threat between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean Sea into an ethnic minority”.
Traiman added that Trump also criticized Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan in 2005 of the Gaza Strip. “I don't understand why Israel has ever abandoned it,” said Trump. “Israel has owned it … They took a property by the sea, and they gave it to people for peace. How did it work? Not good, ”adding that Netanyahu would never have approved such a plan.
Really?
The writer has written journalistic and academic articles, and several books, on a variety of subjects, including international relations, Zionism, Israeli policy and parliamentarism. From 1994 to 2010, she worked in the Knesset library and the Knesset Research and Information Center.
