Netanyahu Lands in Washington to Meet Trump – Dramatic Issues on the Agenda
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his entourage have landed in Washington for an urgent, expedited visit at an exceptionally sensitive time. Netanyahu is expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his delegation landed overnight (between Tuesday and Wednesday Israel time) in Washington for an urgent visit that, as noted, was moved up. Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.
As a reminder, the Prime Minister traveled to the United States aboard the state aircraft "Wing of Zion," accompanied by a limited entourage including his political advisors, Military Secretary Major General Roman Gofman, and acting National Security Advisor Gil Reich.
Netanyahu is expected to land in the American capital ahead of the central event of the visit: a working meeting with President Donald Trump on Wednesday at the White House.
The visit, which was scheduled and moved up under unusual circumstances, takes place at a particularly sensitive time and is defined in Jerusalem as a move intended to influence, in real-time, the shaping of understandings forming between Washington and Tehran.
According to a CNN report quoting a senior source, Israel is skeptical regarding the success of the developing negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, but is pushing to ensure that Israel's freedom of military action against Iran remains intact under any potential agreement.
The Prime Minister’s Office clarified that Netanyahu intends to convey a clear message: Israel opposes any arrangement that focuses solely on narrow aspects of the Iranian nuclear program. From Jerusalem's perspective, any future agreement must be comprehensive and include not only significant long-term restrictions on enrichment but also address the ballistic missile program and Iran's regional proxy network.
However, Washington is only the first stop in a busy diplomatic month planned by the Prime Minister. Immediately following the current round of talks, Netanyahu will return to Israel on Friday, only to fly back to Washington on February 19. This second trip is for his keynote address at the AIPAC conference. Simultaneously, he has been invited to participate in the "Peace Council" meeting, a diplomatic initiative by President Trump, which is also expected to take place on February 19 in Washington.