Trump hints Netanyahu visit to White House next week

U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might visit the White House as early as next week. If the meeting materializes, it would be Netanyahu's first trip to Washington since the U.S. and Israel began their campaign against Iran.

According to Al Jazeera, Trump stated that Netanyahu had requested the meeting. The U.S. president suggested the encounter could occur after his return from the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, scheduled for July 7-8. This potential visit comes amid public scrutiny of the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu.

Tensions between the two leaders became apparent when Israel opposed the Trump administration's attempts to negotiate a ceasefire with Iran. Trump also publicly criticized Israel's strikes in Lebanon, deeming them potentially disruptive to ongoing negotiations. However, in a brief phone interview with Axios, Trump denied any deterioration in his relationship with Netanyahu, stating, "We are doing very well. Netanyahu knows who's boss."

The United States and Israel have long been close allies. Washington was the first government to recognize Israel's establishment in 1948. Since World War II, Israel has been the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign aid. In 2016, the U.S. signed a memorandum pledging $38 billion in military aid to Israel over a decade. In recent years, Washington has continued to provide additional military assistance, even amid the conflict in Gaza. During his second term, Trump aligned the U.S. with Israel in two wars against Iran, one in June 2025 and a more recent conflict that began on February 28, 2026. The latter conflict drew widespread criticism as an unprovoked act of aggression violating international law. Trump also faced domestic criticism for deploying U.S. troops without congressional approval.