Israeli prime minister meets US president for first time since regional war began, with visit marked by White House pressure and protests against his policies.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, for a long-awaited meeting with US President Donald Trump. It is their first meeting since the outbreak of war in the Middle East on February 28, 2026, and according to Al Mayadeen English citing Israel's Channel 12, the visit was conditional on a clear message from Washington: Netanyahu could not come to the White House without concrete progress in Gaza.
"If you believe you will come empty-handed, you will not come," the administration conveyed, citing an Israeli media outlet.
Before the trip, Netanyahu stated that the meeting is "a great privilege, but also a great responsibility." According to France Info, the two leaders last met on February 11, 2026, and this visit had already been postponed twice due to tensions between the allies.
The main topic of the meeting will be Iran's nuclear program and the re-escalation of hostilities between the US and Iran. According to France Info, Israel opposes signing a framework agreement between Washington and Tehran and advocates for sustained military pressure. On Sunday, Netanyahu softened his tone on Fox News, saying he "fully supports Donald Trump's efforts" and added: "If this can be achieved without returning to high-intensity fighting, that is very good."
Recall, after a ceasefire was reached in April 2026, two weeks of unprecedented bombardment followed, in which Israel participated in the initial offensive on February 28, but not in the last wave of attacks.
Trump and Netanyahu will also discuss the implementation of a framework agreement with Lebanon, brokered under US auspices but rejected by the Islamist Hezbollah movement. The Lebanese army on Sunday condemned the continuation of Israeli military operations in the south of the country, despite Beirut's demands for withdrawal.
On the Israeli side, a key concession has already been made. According to Al Mayadeen English, the Israeli security cabinet approved on July 27 a legal framework for deploying international stabilization forces in Gaza, seen as a gesture toward Washington and part of Trump's "Peace Council" initiative.
The arrival of the Israeli prime minister sparked strong reactions. As his motorcade passed through the city, protesters chanted "F*** you Bibi" and "War criminal!", Al Jazeera reported. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called Netanyahu a war criminal in The New York Times, referring to the international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.
Trump dismissed the possibility of an arrest: "He will not be arrested in any way while he is in the United States," he said, as reported by France Info. After the meeting in the Oval Office, Netanyahu will attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, whom the prime minister's office called "a friend of Israel."
International relations expert Yonatan Freeman from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem believes the main goal of the meeting is "to show the entire world, Iran, but also Lebanon and other countries, that there is no rift or major disagreement between the US and Israel." Despite Trump's occasional outbursts of anger towards Netanyahu, Freeman points out that the differences are more about methods, timing, and intensity of military operations than about end goals.
