The U.S. and Israeli leaders planned to discuss several issues, including tariffs, renewed fighting in the Gaza Strip, and a potential confrontation with Iran.
As he met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on April 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed his country would equalize its trade terms with the United States.
“We will eliminate the trade deficit with the United States. We intend to do it very quickly. We think it’s the right thing to do. And we’re going to also eliminate trade barriers, a variety of trade barriers that have been put up unnecessarily,” Netanyahu said while sitting beside Trump at a joint White House press conference.
Last week, the Trump administration announced baseline and reciprocal tariffs on global trade partners. Among the planned U.S. economic measures is a 17 percent tariff on Israeli goods. Ahead of their Monday meeting, Netanyahu indicated he hoped to negotiate some tariff relief.
Addressing reporters on Monday, the two leaders described further discussions they’d had on the recently renewed fighting in the Gaza Strip, concerns about Iran’s nuclear development, and rising tensions between Israel and Turkey.
Gaza
Both leaders indicated they are also working to win the release of U.S. and Israeli citizens who have been held captive in the Gaza Strip since Hamas terrorists carried out attacks across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Hamas and Israel had reached a cease-fire agreement in January, under which Hamas had agreed to release some of the remaining hostages in exchange for Israel halting its military operations, pulling back from major population centers, and releasing Palestinian prisoners.
The Gaza cease-fire collapsed last month, amid disagreements over the next steps in the cease-fire process. Israeli forces have since resumed combat operations in the war-torn territory.
“I’d like to see the war stop, and I think the war will stop at some point that won’t be in the too-distant future,” Trump said as he faced questions about the cease-fire on Monday. “Right now, we have a problem with hostages. We’re trying to get the hostages out. We got quite a few of them out, but it’s a long process.”
Netanyahu said efforts are underway to restart a cease-fire. He said he also spoke with Trump about a proposal to relocate residents of the Gaza Strip to amenable neighboring countries.
By Ryan Morgan
