On Friday, July 26, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with former US President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. This meeting followed Netanyahu’s separate discussions with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington, DC. Netanyahu gifts Trump a blue baseball hat emblazoned with “TOTAL VICTORY” and a framed picture of a child held captive in Gaza.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Netanyahu wrote “Shabbat Shalom” and included emojis of the Israeli and American flags, signifying the continued strong relationship between the two nations. The phrase “total victory” referred to Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza, not the 2024 US presidential election.
The video showed Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, arriving at Mar-a-Lago and being warmly received by Trump. During their conversation, Netanyahu presented Trump with the framed photo and explained its significance. Trump responded, “We’ll get that taken care of,” as they posed for photos.
The Trump campaign stated that Netanyahu expressed gratitude for Trump’s efforts during his presidency, including the Abraham Accords and relocating the US embassy to Jerusalem. Trump vowed to work for Middle East peace and combat antisemitism on college campuses if re-elected.
Sources told CNN that Netanyahu requested the meeting, marking their first encounter since Trump left office. Despite previous tensions when Netanyahu congratulated Biden on his 2020 election victory, the two leaders appeared reconciled.
During a joint address to the US Congress, Netanyahu commended Trump for the Abraham Accords and expressed relief that Trump “emerged safe and sound” from an assassination attempt. Netanyahu also praised President Biden for his support of Israel following the October 7 Hamas attack.
Online reactions to the meeting were mixed. Some mocked Trump for hosting Netanyahu and criticized the “TOTAL VICTORY” hat, while others expressed hope for peace and solidarity between the two leaders.
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