JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Washington this week under pressure to end the Gaza war from both Israel, which wants the hostages returned, and a US administration increasingly focused on presidential elections.
The visit is Netanyahu’s first to his most important international ally since returning as prime minister for a record sixth term at the end of 2022, but has been overshadowed by President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek re-election.
A meeting with Biden is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday if the president recovers from COVID-19, while Netanyahu is due to address the U.S. Congress on Wednesday.
The visit offers Netanyahu an opportunity to try to repair ties with Washington after months of frosty relations over Israel’s offensive in Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack.
Trump’s address to Congress is expected to focus on coordinating Israeli and US responses to the volatile situation in the Middle East, where there is a growing risk that the Gaza war will spread into a wider regional conflict.
The speech is expected to be less confrontational than one Netanyahu gave to parliament in 2015, in which he criticized President Barack Obama for pushing through the Iran nuclear deal.
U.S. pressure on Israel to resume talks with the Palestinians toward a political agreement and threats to cut off arms supplies have strengthened perceptions in Israel that relations with the U.S. are weakening under Netanyahu, who also faces protests inside Israel calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
“Part of the goal is to show that despite what has been said and the protests, Netanyahu is still a leader, he still has support and he still has strong ties with the U.S.,” said Yonatan Freeman, an international relations expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The invitation to Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress – a rare honor usually given to America’s closest ally – was orchestrated by House Republican leaders, who have accused Biden of not showing enough support for Israel.
There are no immediate signs that Netanyahu will meet with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The two developed a close relationship during Trump’s presidency, but Trump has since criticized Netanyahu and said the Gaza war must end quickly.
