Repeatedly this year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has flown to the United States to praise President Donald Trump as Israel’s greatest champion — and to quietly press him on taking more aggressive action against Israel’s enemies.
On Monday, when Netanyahu meets Trump at his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, the message will be similar: He is looking for a tougher approach to Hamas in Gaza, and is warning of new advancements in Iran’s ballistic missile program.
Yet the reception this time may be different. Trump, who promised he would act as a president of peace, has been wary of some Israeli actions in recent months, including strikes in Syria. He is mindful of American public sentiment, which hasn’t favored becoming mired in another Middle Eastern war.
A tenuous Gaza ceasefire that Trump proudly traveled to the region to finalize in October is being tested by continued deadly Israeli operations in the Palestinian enclave and a slow process to move to the second phase of the deal.
And despite many flashy demonstrations of friendship — including Trump’s extraordinary call for Israel’s president to pardon Netanyahu amid corruption charges — the relationship between the men has, at moments, become strained over differences in how they view foreign policy in the region.
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