Donald Trump hosted Benjamin Netanyahu at his Florida resort as he dismissed reports of tensions between the pair and attacked Kamala Harris’s “disrespectful” comments about the Gaza war.
The former US president welcomed the Israeli prime minister to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach for their first meeting since September 2020.
The Republican presidential nominee and Mr Netanyahu have reportedly been at odds since the Israeli PM congratulated Joe Biden for his victory in the 2020 presidential election, which Mr Trump falsely claimed was stolen from him.
It was all smiles between Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu on Friday, however, with the American saying “we have a very good relationship” and insisting it was “never bad”.
The Trump campaign said Mr Netanyahu thanked him for “working to promote stability in the region” when he was in office.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump expressed solidarity with Israel to Mr Netanyahu and pledged that “he will make every effort to bring peace to the Middle East and combat anti-semitism from spreading throughout college campuses” if he wins the election, the statement added.
The Israeli leader’s meeting with Mr Trump came after he held talks with vice president Kamala Harris, after which she said she will “not be silent” over suffering in Gaza.
At Mar-a-Lago, Mr Trump said he thought “her remarks were disrespectful”, while Mr Netanyahu said he hoped his US visit would lead to a quicker ceasefire deal.
Mr Netanyahu addressed Congress on Wednesday, where he praised Mr Trump for “all he’s done for Israel” and vowed “total victory in Gaza“.
‘Bibi made a terrible mistake’
After Mr Biden won the 2020 US presidential election, Mr Netanyahu tweeted his congratulations to him and Ms Harris, adding: “Joe, we’ve had a long & warm personal relationship for nearly 40 years, and I know you as a great friend of Israel.
“I look forward to working with both of you to further strengthen the special alliance between the U.S. and Israel.”
Mr Trump was reportedly angered by the Israeli prime minister’s remarks and was quoted as saying “nobody did more for Bibi” and “he has made a terrible mistake”.
Tensions appeared to ease after Mr Netanyahu praised Mr Trump in his speech to Congress, with the former president telling Fox and Friends that he “appreciated that”.
He then urged the Israeli prime minister to “finish up” the war on Hamas, saying: “You gotta get it done quickly, because they are getting decimated with his publicity.
“Israel is not very good at public relations, I’ll tell you that.”
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Ms Harris – the likely Democratic presidential nominee – said she raised “serious concerns” with Mr Netanyahu in discussions at the White House on Thursday.
“We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies,” she said. “We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering. And I will not be silent.”
Mr Netanyahu said he would dispatch a team to Rome where CIA director Bill Burns is expected to meet with Qatari and Egyptian officials to discuss a ceasefire on Sunday.