Donald Trump said Benjamin Netanyahu could make the Netanyahu Trump White House Summit as soon as next week after Netanyahu requested a meeting. Trump tied the timing to his return from the annual NATO summit in Ankara, Turkiye, keeping the visit in the realm of possibility rather than a fixed schedule.
The planned meeting would be Netanyahu’s seventh visit to the United States since Trump returned to office for a second term. That frequency puts the two leaders back into direct contact while Trump is publicly pressing Israel over Iran and Lebanon.
Trump links visit to NATO summit
Trump said the White House meeting could come after July 7 and 8, when the annual NATO summit is scheduled to take place in Ankara, Turkiye. In the brief telephone interview with Axios, Trump said, “We get along very good. [Netanyahu] knows who the boss is,” a line that mixes personal warmth with a clear hierarchy.
For Benjamin Netanyahu, the timing matters because the request is now tied to Trump’s travel calendar. For the White House, it means any decision on the visit will follow Trump’s return from NATO rather than precede it.
Iran and Lebanon shape the backdrop
Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are meeting against a stretch of public disagreement over Iran and Lebanon. Israel has opposed efforts under the Trump administration to negotiate a ceasefire with Iran, while Trump has openly criticised Netanyahu for Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon.
The broader setting also includes the US role in Israel’s security and military record. The United States was the first international government to recognise the Israeli state in 1948, and Israel has become the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign assistance of any country since World War II.
US pressure meets repeated contact
That long relationship has not removed friction. In 2016, the US issued a memorandum pledging to give Israel $38bn in military aid over the course of a decade, and the US has continued to give Israel additional military assistance in recent years, including amid its war on Gaza. During Trump’s second term as president, the US has joined Israel in two wars against Iran.
Public opinion has also moved into the story. A June 24 Quinnipiac University poll found that 60 percent of US voters felt the war against Iran was not worth it, 34 percent approved of the conflict, and 48 percent said the US is too supportive of Israel. Those figures add pressure around any future Trump-Netanyahu meeting, especially if the agenda turns to Iran.
Whether Benjamin Netanyahu actually reaches the White House next week now depends on Trump’s post-NATO schedule and on whether the visit is turned from a request into a visit. The next clear marker is Trump’s return from the annual NATO summit in Ankara, Turkiye, after which the White House can decide whether the seventh US trip goes ahead.
