Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met yesterday with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. The two leaders discussed a range of pressing issues. This evening (Tuesday), before departing back to Israel, Netanyahu summarized the meeting with Trump.
“I’m concluding my second visit to the United States in two months. A very warm visit with my friend, President Donald Trump. You could see for yourselves the strong bond and deep friendship between us, which came through in the topics we discussed,” Netanyahu began.
First and foremost – Iran
Netanyahu began with the Iranian nuclear threat and stated that he had reached an understanding with the American administration on the need to neutralize the Ayatollah regime’s nuclear program.
“First and foremost – Iran. We agree that Iran will not come to possess nuclear weapons. This can be achieved by an agreement, but only if it’s a Libya-style agreement: we go in, destroy the nuclear facilities and dismantle all equipment, under American supervision and by American execution. That would be good.
The second option – they drag out the talks, which will lead to the military option. Everyone understands that. We discussed this at length.”
It’s worth noting that Iran announced this morning that indirect talks with the U.S. will take place this coming Saturday in Oman. In an official statement, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said: “Iran and the United States will meet in Oman on Saturday for indirect high-level talks. It is as much an opportunity as it is a test. The ball is in America’s court.” It is against this backdrop that the Prime Minister addressed the Iranian nuclear program.
Determined to Eliminate Hamas
Netanyahu also addressed the fighting in Gaza, noting it was a key topic in his discussions with Trump.
“We are determined to eliminate Hamas, and at the same time, we are determined to bring all our hostages home.
The president looked at me and told the reporters there: ‘This man is working constantly to free the hostages.’ I hope this shatters the persistent lie that I don’t care, that I’m not doing anything. I do care, and I’m acting on it. We will succeed,” he declared.
The Prime Minister shared Trump’s statement on the hostages on X:
נמשיך לעשות הכל בשביל להחזיר את כל חטופינו. pic.twitter.com/d9WJxwO5Oe
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 7, 2025
Trump’s Plan to Relocate Gazans from the Gaza Strip
Alongside the military operation, Netanyahu also addressed plans to relocate Gaza residents:
“We discussed President Trump’s vision, as we are currently in contact with countries discussing the possibility of taking in large numbers of Gazans. That’s important, because ultimately, that’s what needs to happen.”
Only several weeks ago, the Security Cabinet approved a proposal by Defense Minister Israel Katz to establish a voluntary emigration program for Gaza residents who express interest, in coordination with third countries and in accordance with Israeli and international law.
Talks with Turkey
Netanyahu also touched on the military tension with Turkey:
“Turkey wants to establish military bases in Syria, and that’s a danger to Israel. We oppose it and are acting against it. I told President Trump, who is a friend of mine and also a friend of Erdogan: ‘If we need your help – we’ll talk to you about it.’”
Recently, Israel and Turkey have held talks on creating a military coordination mechanism in Syria, aimed at preventing friction or direct confrontation between their armed forces. These talks came after Israeli Air Force strikes last week targeted military sites in Syria, including the Hama base and the Tiyas (T4) base, where Turkey was planning to soon deploy forces.
According to reports, Prime Minister Netanyahu clarified after the strikes that Israel had a “limited window of time” to act before Turkish forces physically entered the base. He explained that once Turkish troops were on the ground, any further action would be considered a military strike against a NATO ally – potentially leading to direct confrontation with Ankara.
Tariffs
The leaders also discussed the new U.S. tariff plan launched several days ago.
This evening, the Prime Minister said:
“President Trump asked countries to bring their trade deficits with the U.S. down to zero. I told him: ‘That’s not so hard for us. We’ll do it.’
It’s the least we can do for the United States and its president, who do so much for us.”
To conclude, the Prime Minister summed up:
“This was a very good visit, a very warm visit, and there are other things you’ll be hearing about soon.”
