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Netanyahu to Visit White House for First Meeting with Trump as Foreign Leader


The visit was planned just over a week after a cease-fire took effect between Israel and Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his upcoming visit to President Donald Trump on Feb. 4, according to a statement made on Jan. 28, making him the first foreign leader to visit the White House since Trump assumed office.

The White House has not yet issued a statement regarding the upcoming visit.

This visit follows the recent implementation of a cease-fire between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization, aimed at temporarily halting hostilities. The agreement was brokered by Qatar and involved both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration, resulting in the release of seven Israeli hostages in return for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Since his inauguration on Jan. 20, Trump has removed the Biden administration’s restrictions on 20,000-pound bombs for Israel, lifted sanctions on Israelis in the West Bank, and signed an executive order enabling the deportation of individuals on U.S. visas who express pro-Hamas sentiments.

During his previous term, Trump relocated the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, acknowledged Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, ordered the elimination of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, and facilitated the Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.

In November, Netanyahu stated that he had communicated with Trump multiple times following Trump’s win in the 2024 election.

“These conversations were very positive and significant, aimed at further strengthening the enduring relationship between Israel and the U.S.,” Netanyahu expressed in a video shared on the social media platform X on Nov. 10.

“We have a mutual understanding on the Iranian threat from all angles and the risks it poses. We also recognize the great opportunities that lie before Israel regarding peace and its expansion, along with other areas,” he added.

Netanyahu was the first world leader to congratulate Trump after his electoral victory.

“Dear Donald and Melania Trump, Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback!” he tweeted early on Nov. 6. “Your historic return to the White House marks a new beginning for America and a strong recommitment to the vital alliance between Israel and the U.S.”



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