Bibi meets Trump: What are they going to talk about?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed in Washington on Monday and is set to meet President Trump on Tuesday morning (Washington time), marking a historic moment as the first foreign leader to meet with Trump in his second term.

For the president, it is clear that a key priority will be a swift advancement in normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia. For Netanyahu, the challenge will be balancing his desire to promote normalisation and progress into the second phase of the deal with Hamas while also maintaining his coalition.

The visit comes as Trump’s administration is still shaping its Middle East policy. Israeli officials believe the trip could influence the White House’s approach to the region. “Only after this meeting will it be possible to fully assess Trump’s policy direction,” an Israeli official was quoted by Ynet News.

These will be the three main discussion topics.

The main focus of the Trump administration in the Middle East is to advance normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Trump sees Saudi Arabia as the key to regional change, the removal of Hamas, the elimination of Iran’s nuclear program, and the flow of money into the US economy.

Chaim Levinson reports in Haaretz that Jerusalem and Riyadh have already agreed on most of the details during talks held under the Biden administration. Israel and Saudi Arabia will sign a normalisation agreement that includes significant economic cooperation. In return, the United States will supply Saudi Arabia with nuclear reactors for electricity generation, alongside strict oversight mechanisms, and enter a defence pact with Riyadh. The deal will also include a commitment to a “path to a Palestinian state.” Despite denials, Levinson reports this wording is agreed upon and coordinated with Israel and will be issued as an American declaration that is binding on Israel.

The main obstacle to concluding the agreement is the war in Gaza. Even before negotiations have started, there is already a major gap: Hamas wants to end the war and remain in power in Gaza. Israel opposes ending the war as long as Hamas remains in control. To maintain his coalition, Netanyahu will seek a public commitment from the president himself that Hamas will not be allowed to remain in power in Gaza. Netanyahu believes such a commitment from Trump will prompt Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to ease pressure on the prime minister and neutralise Smotrich’s threat to resign after the first phase of the hostage deal.

Israel-Saudi Normalization? Trump's Gaza Proposal May Be a Ploy to Benefit Riyadh (Chaim Levinson, Haaretz)

Iran is expected to be another central topic of discussion between Netanyahu and Trump. The prime minister is seeking Trump’s support for potential military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Trump has already taken steps to support Israel’s military efforts. He instructed the U.S. military to lift a hold—imposed by former President Biden—on supplying Israel with 2,000-pound bombs. This move enables Israel to carry out a large-scale attack if necessary and may encourage such action.

However, in his inauguration speech, Trump suggested otherwise, stating, “We will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end—and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into.”

Omer Dostri, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, told The Jerusalem Post that “if Israel’s objectives regarding Iran can be achieved through diplomacy rather than war, Netanyahu would welcome that.” However, he added that “there is deep scepticism in Jerusalem about whether diplomacy can truly resolve the issue.”

Netanyahu, Trump set for high-stakes talks in Washington on Gaza and Iran (Amichai Stein, Jpost)

In January, a joint statement from the US, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, and the UK warned the Houthis against further attacks on international shipping. When the Houthis ignored that warning, the coalition—led by the UK and the US—responded with force, launching air and missile strikes against dozens of Houthi targets in Yemen.

For now, the Houthis have held their fire against Israel, as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains in place. However, there are no guarantees this will last.

Some analysts have said that American policies over the last decade have allowed the Houthis to strengthen. The group has used its own resources, along with Iranian support, to develop increasingly sophisticated weapons. As a result, the Houthis remain a significant security and economic threat.  Netanyahu will seek to ensure that Trump fully understands America’s role in the battle against the Houthis. In the long term, Trump must also explore ways to cut off Iranian support to the Houthis, preventing future escalation.

Netanyahu's Washington mission: Five key priorities (Maayan Hoffman, Ynet News)