After nine months, some of the most difficult for Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu left last night for an eight-day trip to the United States. Although a work trip, the premier will also have time for pleasure.
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The reason for this is that even though it could have been avoided, Netanyahu will stay in New York on Saturday. Unprecedentedly, after Rome, London, and Paris, he will once again spend the weekend abroad with his wife. Never before has the prime minister dared to act in such a wasteful and extravagant manner. But given that it is his fourth weekend off, it is hard to believe it stems from "schedule considerations."
Video: Netanyahu and his wife address the media shortly before takeoff / Credit: Ariel Kahana
Secondly, like all human beings, leaders also enjoy escaping from their troubles at home, especially when the troubles are placed on their shoulders. There, in the big world, the media is not bothersome, the agenda is more diverse than in the gray routine of Israel, and when it comes to Netanyahu, there is quite a bit of global admiration as well. Only the anti-judicial reform demonstrators followed him to the Big Apple. There are already signs outside the UN headquarters urging "not to trust" Netanyahu.
Moreover, going to the US is certainly a great opener for the Jewish new year for Netanyahu, who is back on his home turf. Even if his status is damaged in the liberal media, he is an influential player in American politics, above and beyond any other Israeli politician, and probably more than most world leaders.
His tour of the US, the planned talk with Elon Musk, the meetings with US President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (for the first time since the outbreak of the war), and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other leaders, and of course the speech at the United Nations – a podium he is particularly fond of – are expected to bring back some color to Netanyahu's cheeks, make the legal reform a little more forgettable, and postpone by a few days the complications of the conscription law and the demands of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
When all these remain on the other side of the world, Netanyahu can return to his element – the diplomatic element. He is the one who will be at the heart of the conversation with Biden, scheduled for Wednesday. The meeting removes from Netanyahu the stain of the ten-month boycott imposed on him by the White House.
Moreover, it is clear that the two will devote a large part of their conversation to the possibility of a normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia. Although this breakthrough currently seems far away and full of obstacles, just talking about it is good for both sides. And it is not impossible that the issue of the judicial reform will also come up.
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