Netanyahu is expected to meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
By United with Israel Staff
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to Washington on Monday for a high-stakes visit expected to focus heavily on Iran, as Israel remains on heightened alert amid uncertainty over the next stage of the U.S. campaign against Tehran.
Netanyahu confirmed the trip at the opening of Sunday’s Cabinet meeting, saying he will travel at President Donald Trump’s invitation and discuss the situation in Iran along with other pressing regional issues.
“Tomorrow I will fly to Washington to meet, at his invitation, with President Trump, and afterward participate in the funeral ceremony for a great friend of Israel, Senator Lindsey Graham,” Netanyahu said.
Graham, Netanyahu added, “was one of the greatest friends Israel has had since its establishment, and it is fitting that we pay him this respect.”
“I will also speak with President Trump about all the issues on the agenda, including the situation in Iran,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu is expected to meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday, in what Israeli officials view as a particularly important opportunity to strengthen coordination between Jerusalem and Washington.
The meeting comes at a sensitive moment in the relationship. Israeli officials have expressed concern that despite what appears to be a return to close cooperation between the two governments, coordination needs to be strengthened as both countries weigh their next moves against Iran.
The two leaders have not met face-to-face in approximately five months. Netanyahu’s previous trip to Washington came in February, roughly two weeks before the United States and Israel launched their joint attack against Iran in Operation Roaring Lion.
Former Israeli Consul General in Houston Gilad Katz said Netanyahu and Trump are expected to discuss “the entire range of problems facing the Middle East, Israel and the United States,” with bilateral cooperation at the center of the talks.
“Everything is on the table,” Katz said. “We say what we demand, where our red lines are, what our position is toward Iran, what we want in Lebanon regarding Hezbollah, [and] where we stand regarding Hamas.”
Katz described Israel as “an asset, perhaps the most important asset the United States has in the Middle East,” and said Trump views Netanyahu as a central partner in confronting regional challenges.
The Washington visit comes after Israel prepared for the possibility of a significant American attack on Iran over the weekend that ultimately did not take place. Israeli officials assessed that had Washington gone ahead with the operation, there was a high likelihood Israel would have joined the fighting.
U.S. forces carried out no strikes against Iran on Friday or Saturday night, breaking a run of 13 consecutive nights of attacks.
Trump has reportedly set aside, at least temporarily, plans to dramatically expand the campaign amid concerns over dwindling stocks of Patriot antimissile interceptors and other air defense munitions, as well as the risks of triggering a broader regional war.
Israel nevertheless remains on heightened alert amid uncertainty over Washington’s next move and the possibility of Iranian escalation.
Netanyahu also revealed Sunday that he spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday night, although his comments focused primarily on the International Criminal Court rather than Iran. Netanyahu said Rubio reiterated Washington’s intention to take forceful action against the court, which the prime minister accused of undermining the sovereignty and security of democratic nations.
Against the backdrop of the pause in American strikes, Tuesday’s White House meeting is expected to provide Netanyahu and Trump with a crucial opportunity to coordinate their positions on Iran and determine how the two allies approach the next phase of the confrontation.
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