President Donald Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “knows who the leader is” ahead of a scheduled bilateral meeting in Washington, D.C.
Trump told Axios on Saturday that Netanyahu may visit the country as early as next week, and said the relationship between the two leaders remains strong.
“We get along very well,” the president noted.
It is possible that the “prisoners dazzle” will happen after Trump returns from the NATO summit in Türkiye, which will be held from July 7 to 8. However, Israeli officials believe the two leaders will not sit face to face until the following week.
The two men spoke by phone on Friday and agreed to meet in the “near future,” according to a statement from the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office.
The statement added: “The Prime Minister said in the conversation that the United States is the guarantor of universal freedom, and that Israel greatly values the close relationship between the two countries.”
This will be Netanyahu’s first meeting with Trump since he pushed for war with Iran in a Situation Room meeting in February.
Although Trump asserted that he has a “very good relationship” with Netanyahu, tensions have escalated between the two in recent months over the memorandum of understanding with Iran and Israel’s behavior in its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Trump described Netanyahu as “crazy” because of his attacks in Lebanon on June 1.
“You would be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving you. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this,” Trump confirmed to the newspaper as he questioned the Israeli prime minister about the air strikes in Beirut.
Israel and Lebanon signed a tripartite agreement with the United States on June 26, calling for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon with the Lebanese Armed Forces assuming control of areas currently occupied by the Israel Defense Forces, as well as the disarmament of Hezbollah.
Vice President J.D. Vance also criticized members of Netanyahu’s coalition for criticizing the emerging Iran deal at a June 18 news conference.
He said: “Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the world who sympathizes with the State of Israel at this moment in time, and he also happens to be the head of state of the world’s superpower.”
“The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump, and anyone in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the President of the United States should wake up and smell the reality of the situation the country is going through.”