Seoul Gazette - Netanyahu heads to US for pivotal Trump talks

His visit comes as a fragile truce holds between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Both militant groups are backed by Iran.

Before boarding his flight, Netanyahu said the pair would discuss "victory over Hamas, achieving the release of all our hostages and dealing with the Iranian terror axis".

During his first term, Trump declared Israel "never had a better friend in the White House", an attitude that appears to have endured.

Before departing, Netanyahu called it "telling" that he would be the first foreign leader to meet Trump since his inauguration.

"I think it's a testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance," he said.

After Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, Trump's predecessor Joe Biden had maintained military and diplomatic support for Israel.

But the Biden administration also distanced itself over the mounting death toll from Israel's ensuing war in Gaza and delays to aid deliveries.

Trump has moved quickly to reset relations.

Soon after returning to the White House, he reportedly approved a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, which the Biden administration had blocked, and lifted sanctions on Israeli settlers accused of violence against Palestinians.

After the ceasefire took effect in Gaza last month following 15 months of war, Trump touted a plan to "clean out" the Palestinian territory, calling for Palestinians to move to neighbouring countries such as Egypt or Jordan.

His stance has reinforced Netanyahu's need for strong US ties as he navigates domestic and regional pressures.

Celine Touboul, co-director of the Foundation for Economic Cooperation, a Tel Aviv think-tank, said "for Netanyahu, a privileged relationship with the White House is an essential tool".

- Stabilising the region -

Despite Trump's early moves, Netanyahu will face a president determined to push his own agenda when the pair meet on Tuesday.

Trump officials have warned that "renewed fighting in the Middle East would distract the new Trump team from addressing what Trump defines as more pressing priorities", the New York-based Soufan Center said.

These include "securing the southern US border from illegal migration and settling the Russia-Ukraine war", the think tank said.

Beyond that, "Trump wants to reorient his priorities towards Asia-Pacific", said David Khalfa, a researcher at the Jean Jaures Foundation in Paris.

"He believes, as did his predecessors, that he must stabilise the region first and create an anti-Iran coalition with his strategic partners," including Israel and Saudi Arabia, he said.

- 'Political margin' -

Talks will also likely cover concessions Netanyahu must accept to revive normalisation efforts with Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh froze discussions early in the Gaza war and hardened its stance, insisting on a resolution to the Palestinian issue before making any deal.

"There is today an ideological alignment between the populist, Trumpist American right and the Israeli prime minister," Khalfa said.

But Netanyahu's "political margin is very small in the face Trump who does not have the pressure of re-election", he added.

Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas are due to resume this week on the second phase of the Gaza truce agreement.

If successful, the deal could lead to the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza, both dead and alive, and potentially end the war.

Netanyahu's office said he would begin the discussions with Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on Monday.

But he faces intense pressure within his governing coalition from far-right politicians intent on restarting the Gaza war once the current six-week truce ends.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has threatened to quit the government if the war does not restart, potentially stripping Netanyahu of his majority.

The prime minister faces a choice between Washington's demands and increasingly impatient political backers at home.

"If Trump asks him to make concessions to the Palestinians in order to obtain normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu will have to choose between a privileged relationship with the American president or maintaining his coalition," Touboul said.

A.Uhm--SG