If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was looking for the easy political victories that once gushed from US President Donald Trump, he left the Oval Office empty-handed. <\/p>\n
The meeting was supposed to be about the two leaders negotiating the new 17% tariff the White House imposed on Israeli exports last week. In a gamble to avoid them, Israel had dropped its own tariffs on American products to zero a day earlier, even though they were only imposed on very few items. <\/p>\n
Seated next to Trump in the White House, Netanyahu said <\/strong>Israel would eliminate trade barriers and trade deficits \u201cvery quickly.\u201d With his usual effusive praise of Trump, the long-serving Israeli leader said, \u201cWe are going to eliminate the tariffs and rapidly.\u201d <\/p>\n It made no difference to Trump. He pointed out that Israel gets $4 billion a year from the United States – \u201cCongratulations, by the way. That\u2019s pretty good,\u201d he said \u2013 but he would not commit to changing his plans. <\/p>\n \u201cMaybe not, maybe not,\u201d he said when asked if he would reduce the tariffs. <\/p>\n For years, Netanyahu grew accustomed to political gifts from Trump, especially during the first Trump administration. Moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing the occupied Golan Heights as part of Israel, normalizing relations between Israel and two Arab Gulf countries, and many more – Netanyahu was always eager to celebrate these decisions and the president who made them. <\/p>\n Netanyahu was quick to point out that he was not only the first foreign leader to visit Trump during his second term, he was also the first to meet him to negotiate tariffs. But this meeting left Netanyahu with no clear deliverables or US promises for which he could take credit. <\/p>\n The biggest blow of all was on one of Netanyahu\u2019s favorite topic: Iran. For days before the highly anticipated meeting, Israeli media were rife with speculation that the two leaders would discuss military strikes on Iran. The top Sunday headline in Israel\u2019s most prominent newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, shouted \u201cIRAN FIRST\u201d and said the Islamic Republic <\/strong>would need to suffer a \u201cheavy blow\u201d before negotiating. The presence of at least six US B-2 stealth bombers in the Indian Ocean and a second aircraft carrier in the Middle East only fueled speculation in Israel that a strike was not only possible, but increasingly probable. <\/p>\n Ultimately, the biggest headline was about Iran, but almost certainly not in the way Netanyahu expected. <\/p>\n Trump announced that the US and Iran were about to begin talks on the potential for a new nuclear agreement. Netanyahu has been aware that Trump was pursuing talks with Iran, but the sudden revelation of the imminent talks – set to begin Saturday – appeared to surprise the prime minister. The smile quickly vanished from his face as he looked toward his team of advisers. <\/p>\n Before flying back to Israel, Netanyahu laid out his position. <\/p>\n \u201cWe agree that Iran will not have nuclear weapons. This can be done by an agreement, but only if this agreement is Libyan style,\u201d he said, referring to a 2003 deal under which Libya voluntarily agreed to fully dismantle its nascent nuclear program. But if Iran drags out the talks, Netanyahu said he discussed the military option \u201cat length\u201d with Trump. <\/p>\n In Israel, the damage was already done. <\/p>\n \u201cIf (Trump) started the negotiation without our knowledge, it means that he\u2019s going to represent the American interest only,\u201d said Ronni Shaked, a researcher with the Truman Institute at Hebrew University. If Israel knew in advance, Netanyahu could have contributed with \u201csome ideas, some new facts, some new intelligence,\u201d Shaked said. \u201cBut here it\u2019s nothing, nothing at all.\u201d <\/p>\n Trump\u2019s effusive praise of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan \u2013 one of Israel\u2019s most vociferous critics since the start of the war in Gaza \u2013 was another surprising line in a press conference full of them. <\/p>\n Last year, Erdogan called on God to \u201cpunish\u201d Netanyahu and said at an election rally, \u201cWe will send the person called Netanyahu to Allah.\u201d For months, Erdogan has kept up a steady stream of anti-Israel \u2013 and specifically anti-Netanyahu \u2013 rhetoric. <\/p>\n Sitting right next to Netanyahu, Trump heaped praise on Erdogan. \u201cI have great relations with a man named Erdogan,\u201d Trump said. \u201cHe\u2019s a tough guy. He\u2019s very smart.\u201d Trump said he thought he could work out any disagreement between Turkey and Israel. <\/p>\n \u201cI think it was especially embarrassing for Netanyahu, because last week, Erdogan said he thinks Israel should be destroyed or eliminated,\u201d said Alon Liel, Israel\u2019s former ambassador to Turkey. \u201cIt was a very small part (of the press conference), but very meaningful.\u201d <\/p>\n During a speech marking the Muslim holiday of Eid al Fitr on March 31, Erdogan called on God to \u201ccondemn Israel to misery.\u201d <\/p>\n Trump did give Netanyahu some political cover back home. The two leaders said they\u2019re working on another deal to bring Israeli hostages back from Gaza. Trump said Netanyahu was working on it constantly, even as the Israeli leader faces continued criticism that he\u2019s not doing enough to return the hostages. <\/p>\n Trump said he\u2019d like to see the war stop \u201cand I think the war will stop at some point, that won\u2019t be in the too-distant future.\u201d For Netanyahu, a ceasefire would be a poisoned chalice, since his government relies on the support of far-right parties that adamantly oppose an end to the war. <\/p>\n Referring to Netanyahu by his nickname, Shaked said, \u201cBibi is coming back home with empty, empty hands. Not Iran, not Gaza, not the kidnapped people. Nothing at all.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was looking for the easy political victories that once gushed from US President Donald Trump, he left the Oval Office empty-handed. The meeting was supposed to be about the two leaders negotiating the new 17% tariff the White House imposed on Israeli exports last week. 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