For Israel, an undramatic meeting between Netanyahu and Trump was enough - opinion

Lead

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned home from Washington this week after a visit that was markedly different from his previous encounters with US President Donald Trump. The meeting, their eighth since Trump returned to office, took place behind closed doors with no cameras, no journalists, and no public photo opportunity – a departure from the warm embraces and South Portico welcomes that had characterized earlier visits. Despite the low-key nature of the encounter, both governments described the meeting as productive and positive.

Coverage comparison

Reports about the visit focus on different aspects. The Jerusalem Post's analysis, written by Yaakov Katz, emphasizes the unusual lack of publicity surrounding the meeting, noting that it was the eighth time the two leaders met, more than any other foreign leader since Trump's return. Katz highlights that the relationship has become more complicated, with Trump using unusually harsh language about the Israeli leader in recent months. However, another Jerusalem Post piece, by Ron Kampeas of JTA, portrays a rejuvenated Netanyahu returning home with his diplomatic checklist complete, including a grinning photo op with Trump, though it also notes that his PR victories have expiration dates. A third report from the Jerusalem Post's 103FM interview with former US ambassador Mike Herzog offers a more sober assessment. TASS, the Russian state news agency, focuses on a separate aspect: Netanyahu's decision not to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the same Washington trip.

Key claims

• A meeting without fanfare: The meeting between Netanyahu and Trump was not publicized in the traditional sense, with no press coverage or official photo op, as reported by the Jerusalem Post. The two leaders met for about an hour.

• Productive and positive: Netanyahu's office put out a statement saying the meeting was productive and positive, language that was echoed by both governments, according to the Jerusalem Post podcast.

• Eighth meeting: Netanyahu met with Trump for the eighth time, making him the foreign leader who has met with Trump most frequently since his return to office, as reported by the Jerusalem Post.

• US strikes on Iran: The US launched strikes on Iran after the meeting, a detail mentioned in the Jerusalem Post's analysis, though no further context was provided.

• Herzog's assessment: Former US ambassador Mike Herzog said Israel's influence on US decision-making had "diminished greatly" and that the intimacy of the relationship between Netanyahu and Trump had been damaged. He noted that the meeting was crowded, which in his experience means that the truly important decisions are not made, but he also acknowledged that the meeting could be seen as successful because the US did not level specific demands at Israel.

• Netanyahu's declaration: Netanyahu emerged from the meeting calling it one of his best ever, a claim that Herzog said should be viewed with skepticism, as Netanyahu has an interest in presenting it positively.

• Netanyahu and Zelensky: Netanyahu declined to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the same Washington visit, according to Haaretz as reported by TASS. The two last met in person at the UN General Assembly in September 2023. Sources told Haaretz that a meeting was initially proposed by Netanyahu's office, but after Zelensky's office accepted, the Israeli side never responded until Israeli officials cited time constraints.