US-Israeli relations: What will Trump and Netanyahu discuss in Florida - Al Jazeera Explainer
Netanyahu will meet President Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Monday. The talks are set to take place as Washington ramps up pressure to complete the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza.
Despite almost daily accusations of Israel violating the ceasefire in Gaza, the US is continuing to try to implement its 20-point so-called 'peace plan' in the Palestinian territories.
Israel is intensifying its attacks on the occupied West Bank, Lebanon and Syria. At the same time, Israeli officials have hinted that another war with Iran could break out.
Al Jazeera has analyzed how Netanyahu's visit to the US could go.
The Israeli prime minister arrived in the United States on Sunday. However, the meeting will not take place at the White House. Instead, Netanyahu will meet with Trump in Florida, where the US president is vacationing.
The two leaders are scheduled to meet today, Monday.
On October 7, 2023, the Palestinian independence militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel. Israel launched an attack on Gaza that day in response.
After Israel's indiscriminate attack on Gaza began, Netanyahu sought unfettered diplomatic and military assistance from the United States.
At the time, Joe Biden was the US president. He visited Israel 11 days after the attack on Gaza began and declared that supporting Israel was essential to US national security.
The way Biden hugged Netanyahu warmly at Tel Aviv airport indicated that the US would support Israel. However, at that time, Israel was waging a terrible destruction in Gaza. The United States has provided Israel with more than $21 billion in military aid in the past two years. It has vetoed several anti-Israel resolutions in the United Nations Security Council.
Netanyahu wants to show the United States that Israel is working to advance American interests as well as its own. In a speech to the US Congress last year, he claimed that Israel is indirectly fighting Iran through Gaza and Lebanon.
“We are not just defending ourselves, we are defending you,” Netanyahu told US lawmakers.
Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the Trump administration’s top priority is to complete the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza and move from a mere cessation of fighting to a phase of long-term governance, stability and reconstruction.
Israel has been regularly violating the ceasefire in Gaza. At least six Palestinians were killed in a recent attack on a wedding party.
Trump, who has called for peace in the Middle East for the first time in 3,000 years, has focused more on pushing for a broader ceasefire than on Israel’s day-to-day operations.
US Secretary of State Rubio has also hinted that the deal could include some flexibility in disarming Hamas. He said the emphasis would be on ensuring that the group does not pose a threat to Israel, rather than removing weapons from individual fighters.
Despite growing opposition from both the left and right in the US political arena, Trump’s support for Israel remains unwavering.
This month, the US Congress passed a military spending bill that would provide $600 million in military aid to Israel.
