Tel Aviv, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump may look to take a victory lap Monday after their latest joint strikes on Iran, hailed by each as an unmitigated success. However as they meet for the third time this yr on the White Home, the outwardly triumphant go to will probably be dogged by Israel’s 21-month warfare in opposition to Hamas in Gaza and questions over how onerous Mr. Trump will push for an finish to the battle.
Mr. Trump has made it clear that following the 12-day warfare between Israel and Iran, he want to see the Gaza battle finish quickly, ideally with a ceasefire settlement reached this week. The assembly between Mr. Trump and Netanyahu might give new urgency to a U.S. ceasefire proposal being mentioned by Israel and Hamas, however whether or not it’s going to result in a deal that ends the warfare is unclear.
“The optics will be very positive,” mentioned Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington. “But behind the victory lap are going to be some very serious questions.”
Earlier than departing for Washington on Sunday, Netanyahu praised the cooperation with the U.S. for bringing a “huge victory over our shared enemy.” He struck a optimistic word on a ceasefire for Gaza, saying he was working “to achieve the deal under discussion, on the terms we agreed to.”
“I think that the discussion with President Trump can certainly help advance that result, which all of us hope for,” Netanyahu mentioned.
Israel and Hamas seem like inching towards a brand new ceasefire settlement that may carry a few 60-day pause within the combating, ship assist flooding into Gaza and free at the least a few of the remaining 50 hostages held within the territory, 20 of whom Netanyahu says are nonetheless alive.
Abdalhkem Abu Riash/Anadolu/Getty
However a perennial sticking level is whether or not the ceasefire will finish the warfare altogether. Hamas has mentioned it’s keen to free all of the hostages in alternate for an finish to the warfare and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu has mentioned the warfare will solely finish when Hamas is militarily defeated or surrenders, disarms and goes into exile — one thing the terrorist group’s remaining leaders have refused to do.
Trump’s quest to be often known as peacemaker
Mr. Trump has made it clear that he needs to be often known as a peacemaker. He’s repeatedly touted latest peace offers that his administration helped to facilitate — between India and Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, and Israel and Iran — and for years he has made little secret of the truth that he covets a Nobel Peace Prize.
He has been pressuring Israel and Hamas to wrap up their very own battle, which has killed tens of 1000’s of Palestinians, ravaged Gaza, deepened Israel’s worldwide isolation and made any decision to the broader battle between Israel and the Palestinians extra distant than ever.
However the exact particulars of the proposed ceasefire deal, and whether or not it will possibly result in an finish to the warfare, are nonetheless in flux. Within the days earlier than Netanyahu’s go to, Mr. Trump appeared much less sure of the possibilities of an imminent breakthrough.
Requested on Friday how assured he was {that a} ceasefire deal would come collectively, he instructed reporters: “I’m very optimistic — but you know, look, it changes from day to day.”
On Sunday night, he appeared to slender his expectations, telling reporters that he thought an settlement associated to the remaining hostages could be reached within the coming week.
Gaza peace hinged on Trump and Netanyahu’s private ties?
After Mr. Trump’s determination to become involved in Israel’s warfare in Iran with strikes on Iranian nuclear websites, he and Netanyahu have regarded and sounded extra in sync than ever. However that’s not at all times been the case.
As just lately as Netanyahu’s final go to to Washington in April, the tone was markedly totally different.
Mr. Trump used the photo-op with Netanyahu to announce that the U.S. was getting into into negotiations with Iran over its nuclear deal — showing to catch the Israeli chief off guard and on the time, slamming the brakes on any Israeli army plan.
Alex Wong/Getty
He additionally praised Turkish chief Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a fierce critic of Israel’s, in entrance of Netanyahu, and the 2 made no obvious progress on a commerce deal on the peak of Mr. Trump’s tariff enlargement.
Mr. Trump, whose insurance policies have largely aligned with Israel’s personal priorities, pledged final week to be “very firm” with Netanyahu on ending the warfare, with out saying what that may entail. Strain by Mr. Trump could have helped to persuade Netanyahu prior to now, with a earlier ceasefire deal having been reached proper because the president was taking workplace for his second time period.
Netanyahu has to steadiness the calls for of his American ally with the far-right events in his governing coalition who maintain the important thing to his political survival and oppose ending the warfare.
However given the robust U.S. assist in Israel’s warfare in opposition to Iran, highlighted by joint airstrikes on three key Iranian nuclear websites, Netanyahu could have a tricky time saying no.
On Sunday night, Mr. Trump mentioned one of many issues he anticipated to debate with Netanyahu “is probably a permanent deal with Iran.”
Mr. Trump additionally could anticipate one thing in return for his latest requires Netanyahu’s corruption trial to be canceled — a major interference within the home affairs of a sovereign state.
“Trump thinks that Netanyahu owes him,” mentioned Eytan Gilboa, an knowledgeable on U.S.-Israel affairs at Bar-Ilan College close to Tel Aviv. “And if Trump thinks that he needs to end the war In Gaza, then that is what he will need to do.”
Trump’s imaginative and prescient for a remade Center East hinged on Gaza
However past Iran is Mr. Trump’s grand imaginative and prescient for a brand new Center East, the place he hopes that extra nations will be part of the Abraham Accords, a collection of agreements normalizing relations between Arab nations and Israel brokered throughout Mr. Trump’s first time period.
Netanyahu and Mr. Trump are prone to focus on the best way to carry Syria into the fold. The nation, a longtime enemy of Israel’s, has new management after the autumn of President Bashar Assad, and specialists say circumstances is perhaps ripe for some type of nonbelligerency settlement.
Simply final week, Mr. Trump signed an govt order lifting a raft of U.S. sanctions in opposition to the Syrian authorities, paving the way in which for the nation’s new leaders — former Islamist militants who publicly embraced secularism after toppling Assad — to additional cement their governance and be part of the worldwide group.
However Mr. Trump’s final objective is to incorporate regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia.
The Saudis, whose clout might open the door for different Arab or Muslim nations to hitch, have expressed curiosity in normalizing ties with Israel however solely whether it is accompanied by critical steps towards resolving Israel’s battle with the Palestinians. For starters, that would appear to require motion in Gaza.
“The most important thing (for Mr. Trump) is to end the war in Gaza,” Gilboa mentioned. “That is the key to all the regional peace in the Middle East.”
