Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington this week, facing intense pressure to address the ongoing Gaza conflict. The visit comes amid demands from Israelis for the return of hostages and increased scrutiny from the U.S. administration, which is focused on the upcoming presidential election.
This marks Netanyahu’s first trip to Washington since resuming his role as Prime Minister in late 2022. His visit is set against the backdrop of President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek re-election, with a tentative meeting scheduled for Tuesday, contingent on Biden’s recovery from Covid-19. Netanyahu is also slated to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.
The trip offers Netanyahu a chance to mend strained relations with Washington, following months of tense interactions over Israel's Gaza offensive. His speech to Congress is anticipated to emphasize the coordination of Israeli and U.S. responses to the volatile situation in the Middle East, where concerns are growing about the Gaza conflict escalating into a broader regional war.
Unlike his confrontational 2015 address, this speech is expected to be more diplomatic, aiming to repair and strengthen ties between Israel and the U.S. Recent U.S. pressure on Israel to resume peace talks with the Palestinians and threats to withhold arms have highlighted strains in the relationship under Netanyahu’s leadership. At home, Netanyahu faces protests demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s previous visit to Washington in September 2020 was marked by high hopes for peace, highlighted by the signing of the “Abraham Accords.” These agreements, brokered by the Trump administration, normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Netanyahu, alongside then-President Trump, hailed the accords as a historic breakthrough and a new era of peace.
While these accords fostered business ties and significant U.S. arms sales to the Arab nations, they did little to advance peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu, a long-time opponent of a separate Palestinian state, used the Trump administration’s support to integrate Israel further into the region while sidelining the Palestinian issue. As Israel’s Arab partners showed increasing openness to normalization, the Palestinian issue remained unresolved.
Netanyahu, leading the most right-wing coalition in Israeli history, later appeared at the U.N. General Assembly with a map showcasing Israel’s new regional connections, omitting any reference to Palestine.
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