Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris before heading to Florida to meet with former president Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate. This meeting marks their first face-to-face interaction since Trump lost the election four years ago. They discussed the ongoing war in Gaza, a conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 39,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
Trump has been openly critical of Netanyahu’s handling of the situation in Gaza, urging him to bring the conflict to a resolution. In a recent interview with Fox News, Trump emphasized the need for prompt action to secure the release of hostages and end the prolonged conflict.
Brian Katulis, a senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at the Middle East Institute, suggested that the primary focus of the meeting was not necessarily on policy discussions but rather on using each other for political purposes.
According to Katulis, Netanyahu’s trip and meetings with various political figures aim to portray strength and resilience to the Israeli public amidst internal challenges. On the other hand, meeting with Netanyahu allows Trump to appeal to his Republican base and demonstrate support for the conservative and pro-Israel stance.
During his presidency, Trump fulfilled several requests from Netanyahu, such as relocating the American embassy to Jerusalem and affirming the legality of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. However, their relationship strained after the 2020 election, as Netanyahu congratulated President Biden on his win while Trump and other Republicans disputed the election results.
Despite previous tensions, Trump emphasized his positive relationship with Netanyahu during their recent meeting. He also emphasized the importance of his potential re-election for maintaining security in the Middle East, warning of dire consequences if he were to lose in the upcoming election.
While the Gaza conflict remains a highly charged issue, Katulis noted that other factors like inflation, the economy, immigration, abortion, and the preservation of democracy are likely to have a greater impact on voters’ decisions at the ballot box.
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