Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington Sunday night vowing to “make history” at a planned meeting with President Donald Trump for the unveiling of the U.S. administration’s much-anticipated plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
But the high-profile meeting in Washington looks set to serve mostly as a sideshow to the two allied leaders’ serious legal problems. The Palestinians have not been consulted on the much-trumpeted deal and have pre-emptively rejected the U.S. proposal.
The Trump-Netanyahu meeting on Tuesday comes as Trump’s impeachment trial continues in the U.S. Senate and the Israeli Parliament holds a hearing to discuss Netanyahu’s request for immunity from criminal corruption charges. For both men, their White House summit will be a welcome diversion.
Vice President Mike Pence announced the surprise invitation for Netanyahu and his top challenger, Israeli politician Benny Gantz, on Thursday in Jerusalem, after addressing an international Holocaust forum.
Netanyahu said he suggested inviting Gantz in a show of unity ahead of a momentous occasion. But late Saturday, Gantz, fearing Netanyahu would use the meeting as an electoral ploy to upstage him, said he would travel to Washington on his own and meet Trump separately. Gantz, a former commander of the Israeli military, will then rush back to Israel for the immunity proceedings in Parliament.
Before taking off Sunday, Netanyahu made no mention of his legal woes. Instead, he said the friendly Trump administration was providing Israel a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that must be seized.
“We are in the midst of very dramatic political events, but the peak is still ahead,” he said. “I am going to Washington with a great sense of purpose, great responsibility and great chance, and I am hopeful we can make history.”
Recent Comments