The meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump in Washington is scheduled for Monday, following Trump's announcement that "we are very close to a deal in Gaza." A senior political official said Saturday evening that Netanyahu remains committed to the five conditions approved by the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet for ending the war and will present them to Trump. Despite Trump's remarks, the official added that sovereignty will also be raised in the talks.
In his United Nations address on Friday, Netanyahu laid out Israel's achievements in the war forced upon it since the October 7 Hamas massacre. Comparing a map of threats from a year ago to the current reality, Netanyahu highlighted how Israel's position has shifted across the region.
The question of "how"
The UN speech was aimed at countering days of international defamation against Israel and calls for a Palestinian state, except from the likes of Indonesia's president. But the fateful decisions will come in Netanyahu's meeting with Trump. The American president appears to be laying groundwork for a deal to end the war under terms acceptable to Israel, though Hamas has rejected them outright.
In a 21-point document released over the weekend, Trump proposed the release of all hostages in exchange for thousands of imprisoned terrorists, the disarmament of the Gaza Strip, an immediate end to the war, a commitment to block Israeli sovereignty, maintenance of a security perimeter, and a gradual withdrawal in favor of Arab administration.
For Netanyahu, Gaza is only one part of the discussion. He intends to push four key issues: a security agreement with Syria, future operational coordination against Iran, sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, and the terms for ending the war. Netanyahu will ask Trump to condition future US aid to Syria on an agreement with Israel. This appears feasible after Trump's envoy Tom Barrack laid initial groundwork.
Netanyahu also wants to coordinate with Trump on operational action against Iran, which according to foreign reports is seeking to rebuild damaged nuclear facilities. The prime minister will push for an understanding to ensure Iran cannot quickly restore its capabilities.
Limited sovereignty
On sovereignty, Trump appeared to present his stance before Netanyahu even set foot in the White House, saying over the weekend that it was "not on the table." Still, Netanyahu seeks a diplomatic response to any unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state and may push for a formula such as limited sovereignty in the Jordan Valley.
Regarding Gaza, senior Israeli officials remain skeptical about the prospects of reaching an end to the war under terms acceptable to both Trump and Netanyahu. Hamas has already rejected the formula, and it is unclear how the capture of Gaza City or assassination attempts against Hamas leaders in Qatar will affect the group's position.
Netanyahu is determined not to be seen as the one blocking a deal in his meeting with Trump. Instead, he is expected to maximize potential achievements in other areas beyond the reach of fundamentalist murderers who, as Netanyahu's allies noted, were effectively handed a state this week on "a silver platter of Jewish blood" by French President Emmanuel Macron and others.
