Trump hopes Netanyahu is ‘being appreciated, because he’s been a great leader’

Alex Traiman

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U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talk to the press at the White House on April 7. Photo by Avi Ohayon/GPO.

Among all the other headlines on Iran, Gaza, hostages, Houthis, Turkey and tariffs, one of the statements U.S. President Donald Trump made to the media with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 7 was perhaps seen as a throwaway line. Yet it may have been among the most important statements made during the lengthy press conference.

Regarding Netanyahu, Trump stated: “I hope he’s being appreciated, because he’s been a great leader.”

From inviting Netanyahu to be the first world leader to meet him at the White House after his Jan. 20 inauguration to inviting him now a second time before many world leaders have even gone once, making him the first leader to come to the Oval Office to discuss the administration’s controversial new tariffs, Trump has demonstrated that he truly respects Israel and its prime minister.

“We appreciate you being here, and we are a friend of Israel. As you know, I always say that I’m by far the best president that Israel has ever had,” Trump stated, while acknowledging that most Israelis see it the same way. 

“And it’s an honor to be so, and to be so proud. We have many friends in Israel. They are not in an easy area; it doesn’t go easy, but we are helping them. And likewise, they have been helping us very much,” he said.

A large and vocal minority within Israel refuses to acknowledge Netanyahu’s leadership, even as he has been navigating some of the most difficult challenges in Israel’s history. For the prime minister’s reflexive detractors, Netanyahu can do nothing right—even the things that are seemingly obvious to everyone.

On this trip, Netanyahu was ensuring the world’s most important superpower is in lockstep with Israel on long list of complicated issues related to the complex multifront war, regional realignment and now an economic realignment.

A Times of Israel article summarizing Netanyahu’s trip was titled, “After softball visit to Hungary, Netanyahu strikes out in DC meeting with Trump.”

The article started by acknowledging that just prior to the meeting with Netanyahu, the baseball world champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, came to visit Trump in the White House. The piece went on to use baseball analogies to chronicle what the author perceived as three swings and misses by Netanyahu in the Oval Office: That he didn’t secure tariff relief; that America will reenter nuclear talks with Iran; and that Trump is a friend of Netanyahu’s enemy, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey. And it implied that Netanyahu had been on a cushy state-funded vacation in Budapest.

The piece was a foul ball. Netanyahu’s meetings with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and then Trump were not only highly productive; they were essential. And both are likely to prove highly consequential in the weeks ahead.

Defeating the International Criminal Court

Facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, it is essential for Netanyahu to demonstrate that he is not completely landlocked.  If the Israeli leader can touch down in a major European capital, and be treated with pomp and circumstance, it belittles the court’s attempt to bully Israel.

When Orbán announced that Hungary would withdraw from the ICC for becoming a “political tool,” Netanyahu praised his ally. “This is not only important for us, it’s important for all democracies. It’s important to stand up to this corrupt organization that has equated a democracy that is challenged for its very existence by the most horrific terrorist powers on earth.”

Netanyahu went on to predict: “You are the first, I dare to say I don’t think the last, but the first state that walks out of this corruption and this rottenness. I think it will be deeply appreciated not only in Israel but in many, many countries around the world.”

If Netanyahu does not prevail over the court, IDF soldiers could be next on the warrant list. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis would be prevented from safely leaving Israel’s borders. The weeks ahead will prove whether Netanyahu’s prediction that other countries will follow Hungary’s lead is correct, and whether Israel will ultimately win the battle against the International Criminal Court.

There is a great battle of civilizations taking place, a World Series, that includes the West. There is a battle for the soul of Europe, the soul of America and the soul of Israel. 

Viktor Orbán is a leading figure in the battle for Europe.  Donald Trump is attempting to reset American power and a broken world order. And Benjamin Netanyahu is on the frontlines against radical Islamic forces as well as anti-Israel and anti-nationalist Western powers. All three are fighting against their own well-funded domestic deep states.

Removing daylight

When the president of the United States sends an invitation to an Israeli prime minister, there is little choice but to accept. Especially now. Israel desperately relies on American assistance for critical munitions and weapon supplies and international backing as it fights Hamas, as well as Iran and its band of terror proxies.

Israel needs American backing for any plans to resettle hundreds of thousands of Gazans outside the battered Strip, or for any military campaign to destroy Iran’s nuclear program. And while Trump has proven himself to be a loyal ally, there is plenty of room for America and Israel to veer into differing policy directions. 

A face-to-face meeting can aid in realignment and reduce any perceived daylight between America and Israel. The prime minister had been working on arranging a second meeting with Trump in the coming weeks, after the Passover holiday. 

The issue of tariffs prompted a more urgent get-together. Israel, like so many other countries in the world, was about to get hit with a stiff tariffs regime on exports to America. With America being Israel’s largest export market, mostly in the hi-tech sector, Israel’s economy stood to lose big.

Negotiating tariffs

Netanyahu advanced his upcoming trip to jump to the front of the line of leaders wanting to discuss tariffs. The leadoff visit brought Netanyahu into a position of both national and global leadership.

In the Oval Office, Netanyahu told Trump regarding existing Israeli tariffs on American products, “We are going to eliminate the tariffs and rapidly,” adding, “We’re going to also eliminate trade barriers, a variety of trade barriers that have been put up unnecessarily.”

He then said, “We will eliminate the trade deficit with the United States. We intend to do it very quickly. We think it’s the right thing to do…. I think Israel can serve as a model for many countries who ought to do the same.”

Trump was gracious, stating, “I appreciate very much what you said about the tariffs.”

The Times of Israel and other Netanyahu critics pointed to the fact that Trump did not commit to reducing the newly announced 17% tariff on Israeli goods. They explained the lack of a tangible takeaway as Trump’s inherent rejection of Netanyahu’s offer, and therefore a diplomatic failure.

Maintaining leverage

However, it is very likely that Israel has indeed improved its economic position. There was no way Trump was going to publicly announce the results of his discussions with Netanyahu over tariffs. 

The reason is simple: Dozens of other heads of nations are about to follow Netanyahu’s lead and try negotiating new trade agreements with the United States.

Had Trump announced any reduction of Israel’s tariffs, it would have created a baseline for negotiations with other countries. There was simply no way the author of “The Art of the Deal” was going to put his cards on the table and give up negotiating leverage ahead of a marathon round of calls with other heads of state.

Meanwhile, it was clear that Trump welcomed Netanyahu’s statements, eager to demonstrate to other nations that if they want to negotiate a reduction, they should follow Netanyahu’s lead.

A conciliatory approach

With Netanyahu typically a recipient of Trump’s material support, the visit provided an appropriate opportunity for Netanyahu even up the deficit of diplomatic tradeoffs by giving Trump what it was Trump wanted: a world leader coming to him publicly with a conciliatory approach on trade.

Following his visit to the White House, Netanyahu stated, “President Trump has asked countries to reduce their trade deficits with the United States to zero. I told him, ‘This is not so difficult for us. We will do it.’ This is the little that we can do for the U.S. and its president, who does so much for us.”

Let my people go!

Trump spent a major portion of the press briefing talking about the plight of the remaining Israeli hostages, and the barbaric conditions in which they are being held. It is clear the issue has struck a major nerve, and that while dealing with numerous other issues, Trump is prioritizing the return of the hostages.

Trump did Netanyahu a favor by stressing that not only are he and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff working hard to secure the return of the hostages, but so is Netanyahu. At home, Netanyahu faces continual baseless accusations by his longtime political opponents that he is abandoning the hostages. 

For months, anti-Netanyahu protestors were busy repairing their image by supporting the families of the hostages, after attempting to tear the country to shreds in the weeks before Oct. 7, 2023. Yet, in recent weeks, the movement has returned to the same divisive and destructive rhetoric and tactics. 

Most of the country now realizes that the anti-Netanyahu movement’s focus on the hostages is ultimately disingenuous. The issue was carefully selected because the protest organizers projected from the outset that Netanyahu would be unlikely to succeed in resolving the hostage crisis.

In fact, this is the very reason the movement chose the phrase “Bring Them Home” as the centerpiece of their signage and protests, instead of the more appropriate “Let my people go!” While the latter phrase places responsibility for the hostages’ release on Hamas, “Bring them home” puts the responsibility squarely on Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu has proved his detractors wrong, returning 196 of 255 hostages so far, and focusing immense attention on trying to negotiate additional releases.

While noting that “the Israeli people want the hostages out, more than anything. They want the hostages out,” Trump acknowledged Netanyahu’s persistence. “This man is working very hard with us to do that. I mean, I don’t know. I hope he’s being appreciated, because he’s been a great leader. He’s working very, very hard on the hostages and many other things.”

Following the meeting, Netanyahu stated, “The president looked at me and told the journalists who were present: ‘This man is working constantly to free the hostages.’ I hope that this shatters the lie that is being circulated to the effect that I am not working for them, that I don’t care. I do care, and I am doing it, and we will be successful.”

‘I don’t understand why Israel gave up Gaza’

Meanwhile, Trump doubled down on his paradigm-shifting statements in February regarding the United States taking a leading role in the rebuilding of Gaza while resettling Gazans outside of the now-battered Strip.

Asked what he thought about Gaza, Trump stated, “I think it’s an incredible piece of important real estate, and I think it’s something that we would be involved in. But you know, having a force like the United States there, controlling and owning the Gaza Strip, would be a good thing, because right now, all it is for years and years, all I hear about is killing and Hamas and problems. And if you take the people, the Palestinians, and move them around to different countries, and you have plenty of countries that will do that.”

Then Trump acknowledged what members of the Israeli right have been saying for years, since Israel’s fateful 2005 disengagement. (It should also be noted that Israel’s left was incensed by right-wing street protests against the ill-fated withdrawal.)

“I don’t understand why Israel never gave it up. Israel owned it. It wasn’t this bad,” he said. Then, referring to Netanyahu, Trump noted, “So, I can say he wouldn’t have given it up. I know him very well. There’s no way.”

Land for peace formula: ‘Not good’

Taking a strong dig at Ariel Sharon, a right-wing, Likud Party prime minister who went on to unilaterally implement the very same left-wing policy he vowed to oppose in a general election, Trump stated, “They took oceanfront property, and they gave it to people for peace. How did that work out? Not good.”

The comment sent a strong signal about Trump’s stance on left-wing delusions regarding a future Palestinian state in the biblical provinces of Judea and Samaria, referred to as the West Bank by those who don’t want the rest of the world to know it is historic, indigenous Jewish territory.

Resettling Gazans = Total victory

Moving one million Gazan residents or more out of the Strip to other countries will shift the entire balance of power within the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, turning Palestinians from a demographic threat between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea into an ethnic minority.

Netanyahu on Tuesday credited Trump for his bold and refreshing thinking, stating that the two leaders, “discussed President Trump’s vision, because we are currently in contact with countries that are talking about the possibility of taking in many Gazans. This is important because in the end, this is what needs to happen.”

Meanwhile, it is clear that Netanyahu’s team has been influencing “Trump’s vision.”  Resettling the Gazans has long been an unstated war aim and will represent the ultimate “total victory” Netanyahu has been referring to over Hamas.

Getting the hostages home and resettling Gazans elsewhere would be an inning-ending double play.

‘Iran is going to be in great danger’

Diffusing the ticking time bomb of Iran’s illicit nuclear weapons program without military intervention would certainly be a dream scenario. 

A military conflict could have severe consequences for Israel, as well as for other countries in the region. Iran has already threatened to launch attacks on Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar or Saudi Arabia if America launches military strikes.

Yet, a non-military solution can only be accomplished with the credible threat of maximum economic sanctions and military force. With snapback sanctions on Iran set to go into effect in the coming weeks, significant economic pressure is nearly in place.

More importantly, America’s punishing airstrike campaign across Yemen, targeting Iran’s terror proxy, the Houthis, is proof positive that Trump is not afraid to use targeted military force to restore law and order to the Middle East. Furthermore, there is a precedent. America pressured Libya to allow U.S. inspectors to come into the country and dismantle its nuclear program.

This appears to be Trump’s preferred path, and Netanyahu appears to be onboard. Both leaders made it patently clear that they are unwilling to accept a nuclear Iran.

“I think if the talks aren’t successful with Iran, I think Iran is going to be in great danger, and I hate to say, great danger, because they can’t have a nuclear weapon,” Trump stated in the Oval Office. “You know, it’s not a complicated formula. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon … and if the talks are not successful, I actually think it would be a very bad day for Iran if that’s the case.”

Trump is attempting a two-out rally to pressure Iran to give up its illicit nuclear program. But it is clear that the count is full. The Israeli Air Force is swinging the bat on deck, with the U.S. Air Force coming up after.

Netanyahu on Tuesday said of the meeting with Trump that first, “We agree that Iran will not have nuclear weapons. This can be done by agreement, but only if this agreement is Libyan style: They go in, blow up the installations, dismantle all of the equipment, under American supervision and carried out by America. This would be good.”

Netanyahu and Trump also seem to be on the same page that negotiations must not turn into an attempt for Iran to step out of the box and buy extra time. “The second possibility, that will not be, is that they drag out the talks. Everyone understands this. We spoke about this at length,” said the Israeli premier.

Jive Turkey

One of the war’s biggest surprises was the sudden fall of Bashar Assad, and Turkey’s push into belligerent push into northern Syria via its own proxy, Hayat Tahrir a-Shams (HTS), and its desire to establish military bases in the country.

Israel took bold action in the immediate aftermath of Assad’s fall to destroy the overwhelming majority of Syria’s military assets. The last thing Israel wants is a militarized terror group—HTS, formerly affiliated with Al-Qaeda—on its northern border.

Netanyahu stated on Tuesday that “Turkey wants to establish military bases in Syria, and this endangers Israel. We oppose this and are working against it. I told President Trump, who is my friend and also a friend of [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan: ‘If we are in need of your help, we will discuss it with you.’”

In the press briefing, Trump pledged to help mediate between Israel and Turkey, if necessary. “I told the prime minister, I said, just maybe if you have a problem with Turkey, I really think I’m going to be able to work it out. And I have a very, very good relationship with Turkey and with their leader, I think we’ll be able to work it out. So I hope that’s not going to be a problem.”

Trump noted that Turkey has essentially taken control of Syria “through surrogates.” There are multiple ways to deal with this problem. One would be to open up another military front. Trump seeks to de-escalate the region’s conflicts. It appears he is willing to accept Erdogan’s “very smart” move, provided that Syria remains essentially demilitarized, and Erdogan does not directly threaten Israel.

If Erdogan is not content, Trump is willing to step in. “Any problem that you have with Turkey, I think I can solve,” Trump said.

Great closeness and friendship

Netanyahu concluded by acknowledging the importance of his rapidly scheduled meeting with Trump. “I have just finished my second visit to the U.S. in two months, a very warm visit with my friend President Donald Trump. You could be impressed from the great closeness and friendship between us, which was expressed in the issues we discussed,” he said.

The trip to America, preceded by the trip to Hungary, were both wins for the prime minister. Rather than strike out or be humiliated, like his opponents falsely project, Netanyahu demonstrated that he remains at the top of his game, in a league of his own. 

Israel’s beleaguered prime minister scored several runs with a series of the base-clearing line drives in the gap.

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Alex Traiman is the CEO and Jerusalem bureau chief of the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) and host of “Jerusalem Minute.” A seasoned Israeli journalist, documentary filmmaker and startup consultant, he is an expert on Israeli politics and U.S.-Israel relations. He has interviewed top political figures, including Israeli leaders, U.S. senators and national security officials with insights featured on major networks like BBC, Bloomberg, CBS, NBC, Fox and Newsmax. A former NCAA champion fencer and Yeshiva University Sports Hall of Fame member, he made aliyah in 2004, and lives in Jerusalem with his wife and five children.

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