US President Donald Trump has invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House for a meeting on February 4, 2025, making Netanyahu the first foreign leader under Trump’s second term.
The confirmation for the invitation went out through an official post in Netanyahu’s official social media platform that read: “US President Donald Trump invites Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to White House meeting, 4th of February, 2025. Prime Minister Netanyahu is to become the very first foreign leader invited to be at the White House during Donald Trump’s second term as President.”
The gathering came after President Trump’s earlier declarations of succeeding in negotiating a Gaza Strip truce between Hamas and Israel. Such a success comes after several months of ineffective negotiation. On top of this, Trump suggested the controversial “clean out” of the Gaza Strip. He advocated for Palestinians to relocate to the surrounding countries such as Egypt or Jordan. Such an idea is facing stiff opposition from Egypt, Jordan, and many European countries.
During his first term, he often claimed that Israel “has never had a better friend in the White House,” a claim with which Netanyahu frequently agreed. But things began to change for the two leaders in 2020 when Netanyahu congratulated Joe Biden on his election victory, even though Trump was already making unfounded claims of election fraud. Trump then accused Netanyahu of being disloyal.
In a short-lived time of tension, Trump approved the shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel shortly after his second term began, which the Biden administration had halted. Netanyahu has expressed gratitude toward Trump for providing Israel with the “tools” necessary to defend itself.
