Tue Jan 28 20:07:21 UTC 2025: ## Netanyahu to be First Foreign Leader to Meet Trump at White House
**Washington, D.C. –** Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will become the first foreign leader to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House since Trump’s second inauguration. The White House meeting is scheduled for February 4th, the Israeli government confirmed Tuesday.
The visit comes amidst heightened tensions in the Middle East. While Trump takes credit for a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, brokered alongside an extension of a truce in Lebanon, he himself has expressed uncertainty about its longevity. Despite this, the administration has recently authorized the transfer of 900kg bombs to Israel, a decision previously paused by the Biden administration. This decision has been met with gratitude by Netanyahu, who thanked Trump for providing Israel with the “tools it needs to defend itself.”
The meeting is significant given the ongoing complexities in the region. Trump’s recent proposal to relocate Gaza’s population to Jordan and Egypt, swiftly rejected as ethnic cleansing by regional leaders, highlights the precarious nature of the peace. Netanyahu, facing an ICC arrest warrant for alleged war crimes, will likely discuss these issues, along with ongoing US military aid to Israel, during his visit. While Trump pledged to pursue peace in his inaugural address, the current situation suggests a challenging road ahead for achieving this goal.
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