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Boss Talk Amid Gaza
US President Donald Trump told Axios on Saturday that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “get along very good” and that “Netanyahu knows who the boss is,” as the two leaders discussed a possible White House visit soon.
“United States President Donald Trump has hinted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could travel to the White House as soon as next week, in what would be his first visit since the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran”
The proposed meeting is framed in the sources as part of a wider set of tensions and coordination over regional issues, with one report citing “growing differences between Trump and Netanyahu over Iran, Lebanon and the broader direction of US policy in West Asia.”
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said Netanyahu called Trump on Friday to congratulate him on the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence and that the two agreed to meet soon in the United States.
The sources also place the diplomacy against a backdrop of a pause in US-Iran hostilities tied to the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with Trump saying both sides agreed to stand down for the duration of the funeral proceedings.
In the same reporting stream, the planned White House meeting is described as potentially taking place as early as next week after Trump returns from the NATO summit in Türkiye on July 7-8, though an Israeli official cautioned “It might take place the week after.”
Quotes, Friction, and Timing
Trump’s remarks to Axios came alongside reporting that people close to Trump have become increasingly skeptical of Netanyahu, including a US official telling Axios that many of the president’s closest advisers believe the Israeli leader “was wrong about everything.”
The sources also describe Netanyahu’s political positioning ahead of Israel’s October elections, with one report saying a White House visit would carry “significant domestic political weight” as he prepares for those elections.
On the timing of the visit, multiple outlets cite the NATO summit in Türkiye on Tuesday and Wednesday and the possibility of a meeting “as soon as a week after the NATO summit,” while an Israeli official said next week may be too soon because of Trump’s travel schedule.
Trump also linked the diplomatic pause to the funeral of Ali Khamenei, saying “They are all there. One shot [and we can take them all out], but we are not going to do that because then we would have nobody to negotiate with,” as nuclear negotiations enter a brief pause.
The Prime Minister’s Office statement quoted Netanyahu telling Trump that “the United States is a guarantor of global freedom,” and that “Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump agreed to meet soon in the United States.”
What’s at Stake Next
The sources connect the possible White House meeting to ongoing negotiations and military posture, including Trump’s account that both sides agreed to pause talks until the funeral events conclude and that “neither side will engage in military action during the pause.”
“All eyes are turning to the possibility of a new meeting between U”
Reporting also ties the relationship strain to differences over Iran and Lebanon, with one outlet saying Trump urged Netanyahu to limit Israeli military operations in Lebanon while pursuing diplomacy with Iran, and another noting Netanyahu’s office said the two agreed to meet soon in the United States.
In the same broader context, The Times of Israel says the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and undertake 60 days of negotiations on a final deal covering Iran’s nuclear program, while Israel was not a party to the deal and its fight with Iran paused.
The sources further frame the stakes for Netanyahu as he campaigns ahead of Israel’s October elections, with one report stating that polls show him trailing his rivals and that a high-profile reception at the White House would offer a visible symbol of American backing.
Finally, the planned meeting is described as part of ongoing political coordination on regional files including “the situation in Gaza and Lebanon,” with one source stating the call comes as part of coordination “foremost among them developments related to Iran, the situation in Gaza and Lebanon.”
