Trump Signals Netanyahu Could Visit White House as Early as Next Week

US President Donald Trump has suggested that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could travel to the White House as early as next week, in what would be his first visit since the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Speaking on Saturday, Trump told the news outlet Axios that Netanyahu had requested the meeting. The US president speculated the encounter could take place after his return from the annual NATO summit, scheduled this year in Ankara, Turkiye, on July 7 and 8.

Public tensions between two allies

The potential meeting comes as friction between Trump and Netanyahu has increasingly surfaced in public. Israel has opposed the Trump administration's efforts to negotiate a ceasefire with Iran, and Trump has openly criticised Netanyahu over Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon, which he has warned could derail any negotiated agreement.

During the brief telephone interview, Trump reportedly dismissed talk of a rupture between the two leaders while stressing his own authority. "We get along very good. [Netanyahu] knows who the boss is," Trump told Axios.

In early June, Trump confirmed to the New York Post that he had called Netanyahu "f***ing crazy" during a phone call, citing the Israeli leader's actions in Lebanon. "I was a little bit perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon," he said. Even so, Trump emphasised that his relationship with Netanyahu remained strong, adding: "We've worked very well together. I like Bibi a lot. And I work very well with him."

A long-standing partnership

The United States and Israel have been allies for decades. The US was the first government to recognise the Israeli state in 1948, and Israel has since become the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign assistance of any country since World War II.

In 2016, the US issued a memorandum pledging $38bn in military aid to Israel over a decade, the largest package of its kind, and has continued to provide additional military assistance in recent years, including during Israel's war on Gaza.

During Trump's second term, the US has joined Israel in two conflicts against Iran: one in June 2025 and another beginning on February 28. The most recent conflict was widely denounced as an unprovoked act of aggression in violation of international law, and Trump has faced domestic criticism for deploying US troops without congressional approval.

Public opinion and the road to a ceasefire

A June 24 poll from Quinnipiac University found that 60 percent of US voters felt the war against Iran was "not worth it," compared with 34 percent who approved of the conflict. In the same survey, 48 percent of respondents said the US is too supportive of Israel. These figures have coincided with a declining approval rating for Trump as his Republican Party campaigns to hold Congress in November's midterm elections.

The administration has defended its involvement by arguing it prevented Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, an ambition Tehran has long denied while maintaining that its uranium enrichment programme is for civilian energy purposes only.

Trump and his officials have sought to wind down the fighting. A two-week ceasefire announced on April 8 was later extended indefinitely, and on June 17 the US and Iran signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding to suspend hostilities. Implementation, however, has remained inconsistent. The two sides have exchanged fire over commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, and Israel has continued to strike southern Lebanon in violation of the agreement's terms. Those strikes have prompted Iran to renew threats to close the Hormuz Strait.

A frequent visitor to Washington

Should Netanyahu arrive in Washington, DC, this month, it would mark his seventh trip to the US during Trump's second term. No other head of a foreign government has made as many official visits since Trump returned to office in January 2025. His last visit came in February, shortly before Israel and the US launched their initial strikes on Iran in the current conflict.

Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, remain the subjects of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court, though neither the US nor Israel recognises the court's authority.

As the possible White House meeting approaches, all eyes are on whether the two leaders can smooth over their public disagreements. What do you think this visit could mean for the fragile ceasefire? Share this article and join the conversation.

Source: Al Jazeera English