White House Denies Scheduling Meeting Between Netanyahu and Trump Amid Tensions

The White House has clarified that no meeting has been scheduled between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump for the upcoming week. Senior White House officials expressed surprise at recent Israeli media reports suggesting a meeting was planned, emphasizing that Netanyahu has not secured a confirmed appointment with Trump despite earlier indications.

According to White House sources, Netanyahu has been perceived as attempting to force a meeting with the president, but the administration has not agreed to such a request. The situation is complicated by President Trump's displeasure over Netanyahu's public criticism of the U.S. arms deal with Turkey involving F-35 fighter jets. Netanyahu's comments, made in a Fox News interview just before Trump left for a NATO summit in Ankara, were seen by Trump as inappropriate interference in U.S. foreign policy.

This tension reflects a broader decline in Netanyahu's popularity within Washington, affecting both Democrats and the current administration. This was evident in a recent House of Representatives vote where about half of the Democratic caucus opposed aid to Israel, a move attributed to dissatisfaction with Netanyahu rather than opposition to Israel itself. Additionally, Vice President Mike Pence recently criticized the Israeli government for undermining U.S. policy on Iran.

The Prime Minister's Office announced that Netanyahu will not travel to the U.S. next week, citing the postponement of Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral as a factor. However, the underlying reasons for the canceled trip remain unclear. Notably, this marks the first time since Trump resumed office 19 months ago that Netanyahu has waited two weeks without securing a meeting with the president, despite Trump's initial agreement to meet after the NATO summit.