WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Former President Donald Trump, who often calls himself the staunchest ally of Israel to ever sit in the Oval Office, will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on Friday in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said Tuesday.

“Looking forward to welcoming Bibi Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media site, referring to his private club and residence.

The pair’s meeting will follow Netanyahu’s address to Congress in Washington on Wednesday and his meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday. (Trump announced three different dates: An initial post Tuesday afternoon said he would meet with Netanyahu on Wednesday, then he deleted that post and replaced it with one saying Thursday. Minutes later, he said the meeting was moved to Friday at Netanyahu’s request.)

Related Story: Demonstrators Stage Mass Protest Against Netanyahu Visit and US Military Aid to ...

Netanyahu and Trump are Close Allies

Netanyahu and Trump were close allies during Trump’s presidency. But their relationship became strained when the prime minister congratulated Biden on winning the 2020 presidential election.

Trump, who has continued to insist falsely that he won the election in 2020, saw the move as disloyal. And days after Hamas’ deadly attacks on Israel in October, Trump criticized Netanyahu and Israeli intelligence officials as being poorly prepared.

In the months since, Trump has retreated from his criticism. He has voiced support for Israel’s right to defend itself and forcefully denounced pro-Palestinian protesters on U.S. college campuses. He has suggested that he supported greater use of force in the Gaza Strip.

Trump has also expressed criticism, saying that images of devastation in Gaza were detrimental to Israel’s global image and were costing it public support.

Related Story: UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

Trump Insisted He Would Have Ended the War Immediately

Since the war in Gaza began, Trump has insisted that he would have it ended immediately if elected, though he has not provided a clear plan for doing so. He has denounced Biden and Democrats as doing little to preserve peace, an assertion he repeated in his social media post on Tuesday.

“Millions are dying, and Kamala Harris is in no way capable of stopping it,” Trump wrote, a new line of criticism against the vice president now that she is poised to replace Biden on the Democratic ticket. Netanyahu is also scheduled to meet with Harris.

On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly tries to paint himself as pro-Israel, citing how he moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and reminding supporters of the role he played in deals that established formal diplomatic ties between Israel and three Arab states.

Since the Gaza attacks, he has often criticized Biden as being insufficiently supportive of the country.

Related Story: ICJ Rules Israeli Occupation Illegal, Urges Global Action as Biden Prepares to ...

Trump has for years been trying to peel American Jews, many of whom are liberal, away from the Democratic Party, a push that has intensified since the war in Gaza exposed divisions among Democrats over how the Biden administration has handled it.

Netanyahu is set to join a handful of global leaders who have met with Trump during his third presidential campaign. Trump has met twice with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a right-wing leader with whom he shares anti-immigration and populist views.

While standing trial in Manhattan in April, Trump hosted the right-wing president of Poland, Andrzej Duda, at Trump Tower.

Netanyahu’s visit to the U.S. comes as he faces anger at home over the prolonged war in Gaza and failure to bring home the hostages held in the enclave.

–

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By Michael Gold/Doug Mills
c.2024 The New York Times Company