Donald Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday.
The meeting comes as the US president has rejected peace proposals for Gaza, despite a growing number of Western leaders choosing to recognise a Palestinian state, a move that runs counter to Washington and Tel Aviv’s stance.
This is Netanyahu’s fourth visit since Trump returned to the presidency in January.
The right-wing Israeli leader is expected to seek to strengthen ties with his key ally amid growing international isolation nearly two years after the war in Gaza began.
Netanyahu is expected to receive a warmer reception than the cold response he received when he addressed the UN General Assembly on Friday, where many delegates walked out in protest.
In his speech, Netanyahu strongly condemned the decisions of countries such as Britain, France, Canada, Australia and several others to recognise Palestinian statehood, a major shift in the diplomatic policy of the close US ally.
Trump, who described the recognition as a “gift” to Hamas, told Reuters that he hoped to convince Netanyahu to accept a peace framework aimed at ending the war in Gaza and freeing the remaining hostages.
He also praised the role of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Jordan and Egypt in supporting the peace process, describing the proposal as an effort towards peace in the wider Middle East, not just in Gaza.
However, senior Israeli officials stressed that it was too early to say whether there was a final agreement. Netanyahu is expected to present Israel’s official position in his meeting with Trump.
Netanyahu is now facing internal pressure, especially from the families of the hostages and Israelis increasingly tired of the prolonged war.
According to White House officials, a 21-point peace plan was circulated to several Arab and Muslim countries last week. The plan includes the release of all hostages, an end to Israel’s attacks on Qatar, and new Israeli-Palestinian dialogue to find a way to live together peacefully.
Several previous US-backed ceasefire efforts have failed due to sharp differences between Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu, on the other hand, insisted that the war would only end after Hamas was completely eliminated.
