Only one image was released from Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting Wednesday: a handshake in the Oval Office, distributed by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. Beyond that single frame, there were no reporters, no statements, no spontaneous gaggle with shouted questions.
The discretion added intrigue to what was already an unusually urgent meeting, brought forward by a week at Netanyahu’s request. The US has been continuing to build up its military forces in the Middle East, even as Trump pursues negotiations with Tehran.
Trump, who rarely avoids cameras, limited his post-meeting comments to a social media post. Netanyahu’s office issued a brief readout reaffirming “the close coordination and relationship” without offering much detail.
Trump’s Truth Social statement indicated his insistence that talks continue, in an apparent contrast to Netanyahu’s long-standing opposition to any nuclear agreement and his desire to discuss plans for another strike on Iran during his trip to Washington.
Netanyahu later acknowledged conveying his reservations to Trump. “He wanted to hear my opinion,” Netanyahu said Thursday before departing for Israel. “I will not hide from you that I expressed general skepticism regarding the quality of any agreement with Iran.”
He stressed that any future deal must address not only Iran’s nuclear program but also its ballistic missile program and regional proxy networks, arguing that these issues are vital not only for Israel’s security but for regional stability more broadly.
Whether the private setting and lack of cameras allowed both leaders to mask disagreements or rather quietly coordinate their mutual future actions remains unclear.
Credit: cnn.com
