Netanyahu Did Trump a Personal Favor – But He Didn’t Expect This Ambush

A transatlantic phone call between Europe and the United States ended with a personal invitation for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House.

For the second time since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, within just a few months, the Israeli Prime Minister found himself boarding “Wing of Zion” en route to Washington, D.C.

But this time was different. The White House invitation was issued practically overnight, with a snap of the fingers, in a decision made on a whim, perfectly matching Trump’s well-known impulsive style.

According to reports in Israel, there was concern in the Prime Minister’s Office. The entire team, which was in Hungary for a particularly prestigious state visit, was deeply worried about this sudden White House trip.

Netanyahu’s representatives, who spoke with their Washington counterparts, requested to hold the visit after the holiday. But Trump insisted: he wanted the visit here and now. This urgency sparked fears in Jerusalem of a Trump surprise on one of the many issues on the agenda: Iran, hostages, tariffs, and who knows what else.

The call from Hungary between Prime Minister Netanyahu and the leader of the free world focused on tariffs. Even before Trump’s dramatic announcement of tariff hikes, which he called “America’s Liberation Day,” Israel had reduced tariffs on U.S. goods to 0%, hoping the move would avert the punitive tariffs and their equivalents on the Jewish state.

But the effort failed, and Trump decided to impose a 17% tariff on Israel, which is already struggling economically to survive the toughest war in its history. Trump, it seems, was less concerned about that. As they say? America First.

So Netanyahu called, trying to understand the outrage and why Israel’s fate should be equated with that of the European Union, despised by Trump, which received a 20% tariff. Then Trump surprised him, saying, “Bibi, come to Washington, we’ll talk about it.”

And Netanyahu went.

Upon arriving at the White House, the Prime Minister was received with the respect due to him, more or less with the same courtesies as the last time. Yes, yes, even the chair arrangement for the Prime Minister by the most powerful man in the world was there.

Sharp-eyed observers, or those who know Trump and like him more or less, noticed that the U.S. President’s body language was different from before. It radiated mainly power, strength. Not a single smile did the Prime Minister get from Trump in those moments, in front of the cameras documenting Netanyahu’s arrival at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

And then came the dramatic announcement: “The joint statement is canceled.”

Speculation began to run wild. Would Netanyahu’s fate be like Zelenskyy’s? Would he be escorted out of the White House in disgrace? Why cancel a pre-planned press statement by both leaders?

We may never know exactly what happened there. One thing is certain: something went wrong along the way.

During the joint meeting in the Oval Office, the Prime Minister showered praise on his host, who appeared tougher than ever. “You’re just here for a quick visit and then heading back home, right?” Trump said to Netanyahu, who concealed his disappointment well.

For the first time, Trump referred to his guest as “Benjamin Netanyahu.” Not “Bibi.” He did say his guest was a very important person, but something in the air felt more distant, less intimate. More like a business meeting than a diplomatic summit between two longtime friends.

Trump’s remarks didn’t initially touch on hostages or Gaza. It’s likely that without the talented Israeli journalists (who got flak for their treatment of the Prime Minister), the issue wouldn’t have come up at all.

Trump focused on tariffs. A journalist who asked if the President intended to lower tariffs on Israel was told that the U.S. does a lot for Israel, even transferring four billion dollars annually. “Congratulations on that, by the way,” Trump said with a jab at his Israeli guest.

And Netanyahu played the game. While praising Trump’s policies and close friendship with Israel, the Prime Minister justified Trump’s global tariff decree. “The President is absolutely right,” Netanyahu said, promising to eliminate the trade deficit between the U.S. and Israel. In other words, Netanyahu committed to importing as much as Israel exports to the U.S. and removing all barriers and bureaucracy on American imports.

Netanyahu’s Gesture to Trump

In an in-depth analysis of this bizarre event from start to finish, the obvious conclusion is that the U.S. President asked for a personal favor from Netanyahu – and got it on a silver platter.

Trump is desperately trying to justify his aggressive tariff policy to the world, claiming that the world has been exploiting the U.S. for years.

He needed a scapegoat, one Netanyahu who would agree to fly to the U.S. specifically to “come to the king and beg” for tariff relief, only to receive a “we’ll see what happens” response.

The Trumpian narrative in recent days has been that the world is “begging for a deal” with the U.S. to lift the high tariffs. That narrative was in all the White House press releases, with a clear hint that Netanyahu came to the U.S. to sit at the negotiating table on mutual trade. The Prime Minister agreed to play along, knowing he wouldn’t get the warm welcome he’s used to.

Trump desperately needed a photo where he appeared in a position of power against the leader who came to request negotiations. Those who play poker know the first rule is not to smile – and Trump didn’t smile. The Trump-Netanyahu meeting wasn’t a diplomatic meeting but a business one, where the strong exploits the weak to show the world it’s better to be the next player in line after Israel.

For the same reason, Trump didn’t decide to cancel the tariffs during the meeting, despite the Prime Minister’s promises. The U.S. President needed to show he’s tough in negotiations until a deal is reached that benefits the U.S., hoping other countries would follow. If they don’t, there’s a significant concern that the U.S. could enter a recession, and Trump would find himself in big trouble. The U.S. President thus used the card called Netanyahu to advance his trade dealings with Europe, China, and other countries across the globe. Two days later, on Wednesday, Trump backed down and announced a reduction of tariffs to 10% for everyone and a 125% tariff for China.

But Netanyahu isn’t naive either. The Prime Minister understood that if Israel were indeed the first to sit for negotiations with Trump and the first to remove trade barriers between the countries, it would also be the first to secure a “premium” trade deal.

Those who come later will get the crumbs. Netanyahu wanted the whole cake and was willing to sacrifice his pride for the ultimate goal. While from the outside it looked like exploitation, it can also be seen as a win-win. Trump got the photo he wanted, while Israel will be the first to sign an optimal deal.

In Trump’s announcement about canceling the tariffs, he said the reason for the 90-day freeze was that so many countries called to enter negotiations. It seems Netanyahu’s help with this narrative did pay off in the end.

And Then Came the Ambush…

Trump dropped the bombshell in the room. Iran. As journalists interrupted Trump’s remarks, the President clarified he had something else to say: “We’re going to hold direct negotiations with Iran, next Saturday, at the highest levels.” Just like that. Standing next to the sworn enemy of the ayatollah regime, the U.S. President spoke of direct negotiations.

Anyone who saw the Prime Minister’s face in those moments couldn’t help but feel for him. Netanyahu, the man synonymous with Iran, who drew a fuse connected to a bomb on a piece of cardboard and presented it at the UN General Assembly, couldn’t hide his feelings in those moments.

Yet Netanyahu didn’t tweet, didn’t object, didn’t contradict his host, and didn’t make the fatal mistake that the Ukrainian President made while sitting in the same chair. Moreover, the Prime Minister clarified that Israel doesn’t oppose negotiations with Iran, provided it means the complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear program…

Netanyahu probably knew his trip to Washington was more for the U.S. than for Israel, but he also knew how to make lemonade out of lemons while others would later have to wait in line. Along the way, he got a photo of himself with Trump, gazing fondly at a shared picture hanging on the White House wall, as they stood smiling.

The White House also knew how to say thank you for the Israeli gesture, with White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt saying the world should learn from Israel how to handle tariffs.

And Trump knew how to return the favor: The U.S. President made a point to tell the Israeli journalists in the Oval Office at the time that he hopes they know and appreciate everything their guest is doing for the hostages. Such a statement from the U.S. President carries weight, even if the news broadcasts continue to trash the Prime Minister every evening.

Israel will likely begin in the coming period to initiate processes to ease trade with the U.S., something along the lines of a “What’s good for America is good for Israel” law. And here’s a piece of advice for Netanyahu: call the new law the “Trump Law.” It wouldn’t hurt to stroke the ego of the most powerful man in the world a bit.