Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's expected visit, his second since January, underscores how the Israeli leader's diplomatic status in Washington has changed since President Trump returned to power.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to meet with President Trump at the White House on Monday, two White House officials and an Israeli official said. It would be the second such visit by an Israeli leader since the president was inaugurated in January.
Mr. Netanyahu will arrive in Washington after Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip resumed late last month, despite efforts by Mr. Trump’s aides to broker a new truce to halt the fighting there and free more hostages. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Beyond the Gaza war, the two leaders are likely to touch on Mr. Trump’s sweeping tariffs, which include a 17 percent surcharge on Israeli exports to the United States. Mr. Netanyahu tried to head off the tariffs ahead of Mr. Trump’s announcement by eliminating Israeli customs duties on American products — apparently to no avail.
Still, Mr. Netanyahu’s expected visit underscores how the Israeli leader has seen his diplomatic standing in Washington change since Mr. Trump returned to power in January. Former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., whose relationship with Mr. Netanyahu grew increasingly strained as the war in Gaza continued, did not meet him in the Oval Office until 2024.
Mr. Trump has tailored his Middle East policy to particularly benefit Israel, leaving little room between himself and Mr. Netanyahu. When he took office for a second term, Mr. Trump made the Israeli prime minister the first foreign leader invited to the White House.
A spokesman for Mr. Netanyahu did not respond to a request for comment on the visit. The Israeli prime minister was in Hungary on a state visit, where he met with the country's leader, Viktor Orban.
