Netanyahu heads to Washington for high-stakes talks with Trump

Netanyahu heads to Washington for key meetings with Trump and top US officials on Iran, hostages, and Saudi ties.

By AMICHAI STEIN FEBRUARY 1, 2025 21:22

PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump, during his first term as US president, arrive to deliver joint remarks on the ‘Deal of the Century’ proposal, at the White House in 2020. (photo credit: JOSHUA ROBERTS/REUTERS)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will depart for Washington on Sunday for a series of meetings with senior US officials, including a meeting with President Donald Trump.

Although Netanyahu is officially scheduled to remain in Washington, DC, until Thursday, the visit is expected to be extended, and he is now anticipated to depart only on Saturday night after Shabbat.

Netanyahu and Trump participate in the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords on the South Lawn of the White House in September 2020. (credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Hostage deal negotiations

Netanyahu is set to meet with Trump on Tuesday, with discussions expected to focus on the ongoing hostage negotiations, the Iranian threat, normalization efforts with Saudi Arabia, and the situation in Syria and Lebanon.

Israeli officials who met this week with Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, received the impression that the US president is pushing for a second phase in the hostage deal. Under this phase, more hostages would be released in exchange for an extension of the ceasefire and the release of additional Palestinian security prisoners.

Hamas, however, is demanding a complete halt to the war as a condition for advancing the deal. Netanyahu has made it clear that he will not accept such a demand. Due to the significant gaps between the sides, one of the options under discussion is an extension of the current phase, which spans 42 days.

“The idea is that there could be additional rounds of hostage releases in exchange for an extended ceasefire,” an Israeli official familiar with the negotiations said. “But the assumption is that at some point, even if talks on an intermediary phase—sometimes called ‘Phase 1.5’—are successful, Hamas will eventually halt negotiations because the war will not stop, and Israel will resume fighting.”

Before departing for Washington, Netanyahu dismissed reports that he plans to appoint Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer to replace Mossad chief David Barnea as the lead negotiator in the hostage talks.

“The reports are incorrect,” Netanyahu stated. “Decisions regarding the negotiations will be made only after I return from Washington.”

Iran and military cooperation

Iran is expected to be another central topic of discussion between Netanyahu and Trump. The Israeli prime minister is seeking Trump’s support for potential military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities, including securing US-supplied bunker-buster bombs, which are critical for striking fortified underground sites.

Trump, however, has recently spoken about pursuing diplomatic efforts to resolve tensions with Tehran.

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Omer Dostri, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, told The Jerusalem Post that “if Israel’s objectives regarding Iran can be achieved through diplomacy rather than war, Netanyahu would welcome that.” However, he added that “there is deep skepticism in Jerusalem about whether diplomacy can truly resolve the issue.”

Normalization with Saudi Arabia

Another key agenda item is the push for normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, a diplomatic goal that Trump pursued during his first term but did not fully achieve.

On Tuesday, Witkoff held talks in Saudi Arabia, where he was informed that Riyadh still demands a ceasefire in Gaza and a clear diplomatic vision from Netanyahu as prerequisites for progress in normalization talks.

Both of these demands are currently politically unfeasible for Netanyahu, Israeli officials have indicated.

Meetings with senior US officials

During his visit, Netanyahu is also scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and senior members of the Senate and Congress.

The meetings will focus on strategic cooperation between Israel and the US, ongoing security challenges in the region, and the US administration’s policy toward Israel and the Middle East.