Netanyahu and Trump set to meet as pressure mounts to end war in Gaza

Days after his defiant speech at the United Nations rejecting demands to end the war in Gaza, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to confer with his most important supporter.

But Monday’s meeting with US president Donald Trump in Washington comes at a tenuous moment.

Israel is increasingly isolated, losing support from many countries that were long its steadfast allies. At home, Mr Netanyahu’s governing coalition appears more fragile than ever. And the White House is showing signs of impatience.

The question now is whether Mr Trump, who has offered steadfast backing to Mr Netanyahu throughout the war, will change his tone and turn up the pressure on Israel to finally wind down the conflict.

In a post on social media on Sunday, the president said: “We have a real chance for GREATNESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. ALL ARE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, FIRST TIME EVER. WE WILL GET IT DONE!!!”

Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu are scheduled to meet in the Oval Office, and a joint press conference is expected later.

The uncertainty surrounding the meeting casts it as “one of the most critical” in the years-long relationship between the two leaders, Professor Eytan Gilboa, an expert on US-Israeli relations at Bar-Ilan and Reichman universities, said.

“Netanyahu might have to choose between Trump and his coalition members,” a number of whom want the war to continue, Prof Gilboa said.

A move by Mr Netanyahu to end the war would leave him on shaky political ground at home a year before elections.

Oded Ailam, a researcher at the Jerusalem Centre for Security and Foreign Affairs, agreed that Mr Trump was likely to demand a permanent ceasefire, leaving Mr Netanyahu with few options.

Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to continue the offensive until Hamas is destroyed.

If Mr Trump puts the pressure on, the Israeli leader would probably seek to include “red lines” in any deal, Mr Ailam said.

He might demand that Hamas be dismantled, the researcher said.

Mr Netanyahu might also set a condition that if the militant group resumes fighting or returns to power, the Israeli military would have the right to operate freely in Gaza, he said.

Mr Trump joined forces with Mr Netanyahu during Israel’s brief war with Iran in June, ordering US stealth bombers to strike three nuclear sites, and he has supported the Israeli leader during his corruption trial, describing the case as a “witch hunt”.

But the relationship has become more tense lately.

Mr Trump was frustrated by Israel’s failed strike this month on Hamas officials in Qatar, a US ally in the region that had been hosting negotiations to end the war in Gaza.

Recent comments have hinted at growing impatience from Washington.

Last week, Mr Trump vowed to prevent Israel from annexing the West Bank — an idea promoted by some of Mr Netanyahu’s hard-line governing partners.

The international community opposes annexation, saying it would destroy hopes for a two-state solution.

On Friday, Mr Trump raised expectations for the meeting with Mr Netanyahu, telling reporters on the White House lawn that the US was “very close to a deal on Gaza”.

Mr Trump has made similar pronouncements in the past with nothing to show for it, and it is unclear if this time will be different.