Netanyahu seeks strong backing from Trump, as first foreign leader to visit

For the Israeli PM, this is a boost on the world stage after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him on allegations of war crimes. Washington, does not recognise the court – meaning it has no obligation to detain Netanyahu – and has strongly condemned the ICC move.

The two leaders are expected to discuss a range of regional issues, including reviving efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia and how to deal with Iran, which twice directly attacked Israel with missiles and drones last year.

Trump pulled out of an international deal to curb Iran’s nuclear programme in 2018, and he and Netanyahu have pledged to stop Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran denies seeking atomic bombs.

Both men are also keen to build on the Abraham Accords, which set up diplomatic ties between Israel and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, in Trump’s first term.

Riyadh suspended normalization talks with Israel early in the Gaza war and has since hardened its position, insisting that this is “off the table” until the issue of Palestinian statehood is resolved.

Trump’s administration hopes that establishing formal ties between Israel and arguably the most powerful player in the Arab world, could help regional stability and boost efforts to counter Iran with its strategic partners. It could also serve as leverage to extend the Gaza deal.

On this subject, Anna Barsky, writing in the Israeli newspaper Maariv, notes that: “The people who have been pushing that idea in meetings with Trump believe that if the process towards normalisation begins now, it would be a powerful incentive for Israel to prolong the ceasefire so as not to derail the historic peace talks that will already be under way.”