Trump insults Netanyahu in front of the press at the White House

The Israeli prime minister's press service said that after his visit to Hungary, he flew to the United States at Trump's invitation.

In a statement to reporters, Netanyahu said that the parties discussed the issue of tariffs, negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza, the situation of prisoners in Israel, the escalation of tensions between Turkey and Israel in Syria, and the issue of Iran.

Trump received Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House and made a joint statement to the press.

Israeli media reported that Trump humiliated Netanyahu in front of the press cameras and that Netanyahu was left empty-handed after the meeting.

Shameful and Insulting

An analytical article published by Barak Ravid on the Walla website notes that Netanyahu has not achieved any of the results he wanted from Washington.

According to him, Netanyahu has found himself in a “shameful and insolent” position, and “he has been deprived of the opportunity to influence Trump on the most important issues, such as the Iranian nuclear program, the 17 percent tariff imposed on Israel, and the resolution of Turkey’s position in Syria.”

Describing the April 7 meeting as the Israeli prime minister’s most unsuccessful meeting with Trump, Ravid writes: “Netanyahu simply smiled in front of the cameras and had to get used to Trump’s statements.”

“Netanyahu has become an extra on Donald Trump’s stage. The US president answered questions for more than half an hour — and his guest stood there like part of the scenery on the studio stage. Or, as Netanyahu himself put it in a famous video, “sat like a log,” he wrote.

Netanyahu’s promise to “rectify the trade imbalance with the United States” did not impress Trump. The US leader criticized the Israeli prime minister on the issue of military aid.

Ravid noted that in contrast to the high-spirited atmosphere of the meeting in February, “Netanyahu seemed to have swallowed his tongue.”

Reflecting on the unseen aspects of the meeting, Ravid wrote: Netanyahu expressed concern during the meeting about Turkey’s activities in Syria and asked the US to put pressure on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but this request fell on deaf ears. Trump, in turn, praised Erdogan.

“The bottom line is that neither Netanyahu nor the state of Israel gained anything from this meeting,” Ravid wrote.

An unexpected “surprise” in a state of humiliation

“Trump humiliated Netanyahu live on air, and the meeting destroyed Netanyahu’s goals for the visit,” wrote Anna Barsky, a political analyst for the newspaper Maariv.

Barsky noted that Netanyahu is trying to portray the visit as a success in public, trying to present the events in a way that suits him. However, it will be difficult for him to hide the results of the visit or forget the incident after the statements made live on air.

The author describes the meeting as follows: “In one word — surprise, in three words — surprise in a state of humiliation.”

Although Netanyahu announced the visit as a “discussion of the 17 percent tariffs imposed by the United States on Israel,” the topic of the talks was actually direct negotiations between Washington and Tehran over the nuclear program. Barski noted that the United States announced to the guest on Saturday that it would begin direct negotiations with Iran in Oman.

While Netanyahu promised to correct the trade imbalance between Israel and the United States, Trump did not say that he intended to eliminate the tariffs, and he noted that the United States still provides Israel with $4 billion in aid annually.

Trump, emphasizing his good relationship with President Erdogan, mentioned statements by an Israeli journalist that Erdogan had sharply criticized Netanyahu.

According to Barsky, “this visit, which was supposed to be carried out urgently and resolve all issues and return to Israel with political points, ended in a sad event and left many questions and few answers.”

A humiliating response on the tariff issue as well

An analytical article published in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper under the signature of Itamar Eichner also noted that Netanyahu is returning to his country empty-handed after the hasty meeting with Trump.

The author cites that Trump has focused more on diplomatic negotiations with Iran and has emphasized that he will continue to impose tariffs on Israeli goods.

Contrary to popular belief, the main reason for Netanyahu’s urgent visit to Washington was not the tariff issue, but the ongoing negotiations with Iran. Trump informed Netanyahu that high-level negotiations with Iran were underway.

Direct negotiations between the United States and Iran were the last thing Netanyahu wanted to hear.

“On the tariff issue, Netanyahu received an even more insulting response,” the author writes.

Although Israel has eliminated tariffs on American goods, the United States has not removed tariffs on Israeli goods. Trump, in turn, thanked the United States for “its long-standing support for Israel.” Thus, Netanyahu again returned empty-handed.

According to the author, when it came to the issue of “increasing Turkish influence in Syria,” Trump spoke of his love for President Erdogan and offered to mediate to prevent a conflict between Israel and Turkey. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!