Full Details: Netanyahu Meets Trump, White House Officials

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu concluded a series of high-level meetings in Washington, D.C., on Monday night, including discussions with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a dinner with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House.

The visits focused on strengthening the U.S.-Israel alliance, regional challenges, and the ongoing situation in Gaza.

Trump Hosts Netanyahu for Dinner, Praises “Tremendous Success”

Later in the day, President Donald Trump hosted Netanyahu for dinner at the White House. During remarks to reporters, Trump asserted that he and the Israeli premier have “had a tremendous success together, and I think it will only go on to be even greater success in the future.” Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Netanyahu’s close adviser, was also present at the dinner, with Trump personally acknowledging Dermer, saying, “We’ve worked together for a long time. We’ve done well together.”

Netanyahu Nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

During their White House dinner, Netanyahu presented Trump with a letter nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Netanyahu expressed his appreciation to Trump on behalf of Israelis and Jews globally, praising Trump’s “pursuit of peace and security in which you are leading in many lands, but now, especially in the Middle East.”

Netanyahu highlighted what he called Trump’s “great opportunities” and his role in forging the Abraham Accords, stating, “He’s forging peace as we speak, in one country, in one region, after the other.” Presenting the letter, Netanyahu told Trump, “It’s well deserved, and you should get it.” Trump responded, “Wow,” adding, “Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful.”

Nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize are an open process, allowing any government official, former Nobel winner, or university rector/professor in certain fields to nominate an individual.

Trump has already been nominated for the prize this year.

Gaza Relocation Plans

Discussions also touched on the future of Gaza, with Netanyahu stating that Israel and the U.S. are “getting close to finding several countries” willing to take in Palestinians who wish to leave the war-torn Gaza Strip. When questioned by reporters about his plan to take over Gaza and relocate its population, President Trump deferred to Netanyahu.

Netanyahu responded, “I think President Trump had a brilliant vision. It’s called free choice. If people want to stay, they can stay; but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave.” He added that Gaza “shouldn’t be a prison. It should be an open place.”

The Israeli government has supported Trump’s plan, terming it an opportunity to “encourage the voluntary migration” of Palestinians from the Strip. Critics have labeled this rhetoric as a euphemism for forced expulsion and ethnic cleansing, especially given the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Netanyahu affirmed, “We’re working with the United States very closely [to] find countries that will… give the Palestinians a better future.” Trump interjected, noting “great cooperation” from “surrounding countries” on the matter and adding, “Something good will happen.”

While some neighboring countries have provided medical treatment for Palestinians, none have publicly agreed to cooperate with this initiative, aiming to avoid involvement in the land conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

Netanyahu Addresses Future of Palestinian Governance

When asked about the possibility of a two-state solution, Netanyahu outlined his vision for Palestinian self-governance. He stated, “I think Palestinians should have all the powers to govern themselves, but none of the powers to threaten us.” He reiterated a long-standing position, asserting, “That means that certain powers, like overall security, will always remain in our hands.”

Netanyahu declared, “No one in Israel will agree to anything else, because we don’t commit suicide.” He emphasized, “We want life. We cherish life for ourselves, for our neighbors, and I think we can work out a peace between us and the entire Middle East with President Trump’s leadership.” He argued that a “Hamas state in Gaza” before October 7, 2023, demonstrated a failure to build up the region, instead creating “bunkers, into terror tunnels, after which they massacred our people.” He warned that “another” Palestinian state could similarly serve as a “platform to destroy Israe
Netanyahu concluded, “We’ll work out a peace with our Palestinian neighbors — those who don’t want to destroy us. And we’ll work out a peace in which our security, the sovereign power of security, always remains in our hands.”

He dismissed potential criticism of this arrangement, stating, “Now people will say, ‘It’s not a complete state, it’s not a state’… We don’t care.” He concluded with a strong declaration: “We vowed ‘Never again.’ Never again is now. It’s not going to happen again.”

Netanyahu, Rubio Hold “Substantive and Important” Meeting

Netanyahu described his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio as “substantive and important,” though he did not elaborate extensively on the specifics. On X, Netanyahu stated, “We had a substantive and important conversation about strengthening the alliance between Israel and the United States, and about the challenges we share in the region.” The meeting took place on July 8, 2025, during the premier’s trip to Washington, D.C.

Iran Nuclear Talks Scheduled Amidst Sanctions Discussions

U.S. Special Envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff announced that the first round of nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran since last month’s war between Israel and Iran will be held “in the next week or so.” President Trump, when asked about the talks, stated, “We have scheduled Iran talks, and they want to talk” after they took a “big drubbing,” referring to U.S. strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear sites.
When pressed for a date, Trump responded, “I’d rather not say, but you’ll be reading about it tomorrow or seeing it tomorrow.”

Regarding the purpose of the talks, Trump acknowledged he didn’t completely see a purpose, given his belief that Tehran’s nuclear program has been destroyed. However, he added, “[the Iranians are] requested a meeting, and I’m going to go to a meeting, and if we can put something down on paper, that will be fine.” Trump reiterated his assertion that Iran’s nuclear program was “obliterated,” comparing the U.S. strikes to the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan in World War II, saying, “I don’t want to say what it reminded me of, but if you go back a long time ago, it reminded people of a certain other event, and Harry Truman’s picture is now in the [White House] lobby.” He added, “That stopped a lot of fighting, and this stopped a lot of fighting.”

Trump believes Iran is now in a different mindset regarding nuclear talks, having gained respect for the U.S. and Israel. Asked about further strikes on Iran, Trump expressed hope they wouldn’t be necessary, stating, “They want to make peace, and I’m all for it. If that’s not the case, we are ready, willing and able, but I don’t think we’re going to have to.”

Earlier, Netanyahu discussed the success of the “partnership between Israel and the United States — the partnership between President Trump and me — produced a historic victory.” He stated that the combined effort “produced a decisive result” against Iran, asserting it “set back the two tumors that were threatening the life of Israel — the nuclear tumor and the ballistic missile tumor.”

Netanyahu stated Iran was “planning to build 20,000 of these things and launch it on a country the size of New Jersey. No country can withstand that. So what do you do when you have two things that are going to kill you? You have to remove them with our combined effort [and] we did.” He cautioned, “But when you remove a tumor, that doesn’t mean that it can’t come back. You have to constantly monitor the situation to make sure that there’s no attempt to bring it back.”

Netanyahu credits the U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran with having “changed the face of the Middle East” and creating an opportunity to expand the Abraham Accords. He concluded, “I’d like to believe that Iran would not test our fortitude, because it would be a mistake,” and when asked about regime change, responded, “It’s up to the people of Iran.”

Syria Sanctions and Regional Stability

The warming of U.S. ties with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government was also a topic of discussion. Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that the weakening of Iran and its proxies in the region presents new opportunities “for stability, for security, and eventually for peace.” He commended President Trump for opening “up a channel” with the new government in Damascus but declined to confirm any direct talks between Israel and Syria. Only indirect channels have been publicly acknowledged.
Trump reiterated that he lifted U.S. sanctions against Syria at the request of multiple countries, “including Bibi.”

Reports, however, have indicated that Netanyahu was caught off guard by Trump’s decision to lift Syria sanctions, as Israel had maintained a tougher stance, with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Defense Minister Israel Katz previously calling Sharaa a “terrorist in a suit.” Trump stated he was impressed by Sharaa during their May meeting and lifted sanctions to “give him a chance.” He expressed hope to do the same for Iran “at the right time.”

Trump commented on Iran, saying, “I’d like to see Iran build itself back up in a peaceful manner, and not going around saying ‘Death to America, Death to the USA, Death to Israel,’ as they were doing.” He added, “They were the bully of the Middle East, and now they’re not the bully anymore.”

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee praised Trump’s Syria policy, stating, “He reached out to the new Syrian government, knowing they needed a partner, and knowing that they could pick the wrong partner.” Huckabee concluded, “What the president did — which took us all off guard… has set up something that is absolutely historic.”

Netanyahu Undeterred by NYC Arrest Threat

Netanyahu affirmed his intention to travel to New York City despite a pledge by U.S. Democratic Party mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani to arrest him, citing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant. Netanyahu told reporters before his dinner with President Trump that he’s “not concerned about that.” Trump interjected, “I’ll get him out.”
Netanyahu further commented, “There’s enough craziness in the world, but I guess it never ends. This is appalling, and it’s silly in many ways because it’s just not serious.” When asked if this meant he would be in New York next year, Netanyahu replied that he would come with Trump.

He also noted that while Mamdani won the Democratic primary, the general election is in November. Trump referred to Mamdani as a “communist” who has “said some real bad things about Jewish people,” referencing Mamdani’s criticism of Israel and refusal to condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada.”

Trump added, “He’s going through a little bit of a honeymoon right now, [and] he might [win], but it all comes through the White House. He needs the money through the White House… He’s going to behave… He better behave, otherwise he’s going to have big problems.”