Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump posed for a photo with a framed photo of a child held hostage by Hamas in the leaders’ first in-person meeting in years.
Netanyahu and Trump are meeting at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, as the two seek to mend their relationship after years of division.
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Netanyahu and his wife Sara arrived at the club on Friday afternoon when Trump met them at the door and told them both to “come in,” according to a video of their arrival.
The leaders posed together for a photo holding a framed photo of Ariel Bibas, who Netanyahu told Trump was one of the youngest hostages held captive by Hamas, according to a video the PM posted on X.
In the clip, Netanyahu presented the image to Trump and told him that the child’s grandfather wanted him to give the image to the former president.
“We’ll take care of it,” Trump responded before the two posed for a photo.
The meeting comes as Netanyahu is under immense pressure over his handling of the war between Hamas and Israel, as the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reported that more than 39,000 civilians were killed.
In Netanyahu’s speech at the Capitol on Wednesday, the leader declared that the nation would fight until Hamas was eradicated, as Israel says some 115 hostages remain captive in Gaza.
However, Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Thursday that Israel must end the war in Gaza “and do it quickly.”
He also said that Israel is “being decimated” by the backlash against the war, after Israel and Hamas were both accused of war crimes by the International Criminal Court and denied it.
“Israel is not very good at public relations,” Trump said.
Netanyahu and Trump were last together in September 2020, at the Abraham Accords signing ceremony at the White House, where the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain established normal diplomatic relations with Israel.
Today’s meeting could resolve a long-standing rift, as the relationship between the two has been unstable since the Israeli prime minister was one of the first world leaders to congratulate President Joe Biden when he defeated Trump in the 2020 presidential election .
“The first person who congratulated [Biden] It was Bibi Netanyahu, the man I did more for than anyone else I dealt with,” Trump said in an interview at the time with Axes journalist Barak Ravid.
“Bibi could have kept quiet. He made a terrible mistake.”
Trump’s criticism of Netanyahu continued over the years on social media, when he even said that the leader was “not prepared” for the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
What Trump did for Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked former President Donald Trump for everything he did for Israel over the years in a speech at the Capitol on Wednesday.
During his presidency, Trump:
- Said Israel had sovereignty over the Golan Heights
- Created a tougher policy towards Iran
- Declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel
- Moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem
However, the division appears to be coming to an end, as Netanyahu praised Trump in his speech to Congress, thanking him “for all the things he has done for Israel”.
“I appreciate that,” Trump said of the praise for Fox on Thursday.
Today’s meeting, which was met with protests from both sides in Palm Beach, is important for Trump as the Republican presidential candidate aims to portray himself as an ally of Israel.
He kicked off today’s event by telling reporters there could be a big war if he doesn’t win the presidency this fall.
“If we win, it will be very simple. Everything will work out very quickly,” Trump said, according to The hill.
“If we don’t do so, we will end up with major wars in the Middle East and perhaps a third world war.
“We are closer to a third world war right now than at any time since World War II. We have never been so close, because we have incompetent people running our country.”
Before the meeting, Trump published a letter of support from Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, sent after Trump’s assassination attempt.
“Looking forward to seeing Bibi Netanyahu on Friday and even more looking forward to achieving peace in the Middle East!” Trump shared it, along with the letter, on Truth Social.
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It is unclear whether Netanyahu will agree to Trump’s effort to “end” the conflict at the meeting, as he has yet to respond to calls for a ceasefire.
The death toll continues to rise in Gaza as Israel frequently blames civilian deaths on Hamas, accusing fighters of using innocent Palestinians as human shields.
Earlier this week, Netanyahu met with Biden to discuss a potential ceasefire and hostage release agreement.
Vice President and current Democratic candidate Kamala Harris spent 40 minutes with Netanyahu later at the White House as the pair spoke about the war in Gaza over the past few months.
Harris expressed “serious concerns” about the situation in the Middle East, which reportedly raised fears in Israel that a hostage deal could again fall apart.
After the meeting, Harris shared a statement saying she pressed Netanyahu to consider a hostage agreement and ceasefire.
Kamala Harris promises to ‘not be silent’
Vice President Kamala Harris condemned the conflict between Israel and Gaza when speaking to reporters after her meeting with Netanyahu.
“I have made clear my serious concern about the dire humanitarian situation there,” Harris said on Thursday.
“Israel has the right to defend itself and the way it does so is important.
“What has happened in Gaza over the last nine months is devastating.
“The images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time,” she continued.
“We cannot look away from these tragedies.
“We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to suffering and I will not remain silent.”
“It is time for this war to end in a way where Israel is safe, all hostages are freed, the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can exercise their right to freedom, dignity and self-determination,” Harris said. he said.
“And as I just told Prime Minister Netanyahu, it’s time to get this deal done.
Israeli officials said Netanyahu was reportedly dissatisfied with Harris’ criticism of Israel in the statement, according to Axios.
Harris also notably skipped the Israeli leader’s speech to Congress and instead traveled to Texas for a campaign stop at a sorority.
She criticized both sides, releasing a message yesterday that condemned anti-Semitism over anti-Israel protests that have reportedly turned hateful.
“Yesterday, at Union Station in Washington, D.C., we saw despicable acts from unpatriotic protesters and dangerous rhetoric fueled by hate,” she shared in a statement.
“I condemn any individuals who associate with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has promised to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews.
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“Graffiti and pro-Hamas rhetoric are abhorrent and we must not tolerate them in our nation.”
She condemned the burning of the American flag before emphasizing that she supports peaceful protests.
Meanwhile, Trump said Wednesday that anyone who burns the flag should face prison time.
“You should get a one-year prison sentence if you do anything to desecrate the American flag,” Trump said on Fox when asked about the protests.
“Now, people will say, ‘Oh, it’s unconstitutional.’ These are stupid people. It’s stupid people who say that.
“We have to work in Congress to achieve a one-year prison sentence. When they are allowed to step on the flag, put lighter fluid on it and set it on fire – when you are allowed to do that, you get a one-year prison sentence and you will never see that again.”
Trump’s meeting with Netanyahu comes as the former president is also scheduled to speak Friday night at the Believers’ Summit in Palm Beach County.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
