Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was received by US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago
By Sammy,
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was received by US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, where the two briefly spoke in front of American and Israeli flags before heading into their meetings. Trump later said he plans to push ahead "as fast as possible" with the second phase of his Gaza peace initiative, repeatedly stressing that Hamas must be disarmed, while also noting his close relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and saying he would be open to discussing a possible Turkish role in Gaza, comments that appeared to catch Netanyahu off guard.
Trump went on to praise Netanyahu as a "wartime prime minister," claiming that Israel would not exist today under weaker leadership. He warned that if Iran resumes missile or nuclear activity the United States would immediately support an Israeli strike, though he declined to discuss regime change, instead pointing to Iran's economic collapse and internal repression.
The American president also asserted that President Isaac Herzog was preparing to pardon Netanyahu, a claim that was quickly denied by Herzog's office, which said no such conversation had taken place and that the request remains under formal review. Trump added that Gaza was a central topic of the talks, falsely stating that no hostages were freed under the previous US administration, and singled out the family of police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, whose body is believed to be the last remaining hostage in Gaza, while predicting that reconstruction in the enclave would begin soon.
Netanyahu responded by saying Israel has never had a closer ally in the White House, praising the depth of the relationship between the two countries, before Trump said he hopes Israel will eventually get along with Syria's new leadership. Separately, the State Department said Netanyahu and Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed earlier in the day to continue advancing Trump's 20-point Gaza framework while also discussing regional security, economic cooperation, and the fight against antisemitism.
Topics: Iran, Gaza, Missile Defense & Alerts
Reported by Sammy for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.