JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have agreed to meet in the United States in the near future following a phone conversation, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
During the call, Netanyahu congratulated Trump on the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
“The US is what ensures the freedom of the world, and Israel greatly appreciates the close bond between our two nations,” the PMO quoted Netanyahu as saying.
According to the PMO, the two leaders agreed to hold a meeting in the United States soon. However, no date or venue for the meeting has been announced.
The planned meeting comes amid recent public criticism by Trump of Netanyahu over Israel’s military actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which have complicated diplomatic efforts involving Iran.
Meanwhile, indirect talks related to a proposed 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran have continued in Doha. According to Qatari officials, separate meetings held with US and Iranian negotiators on July 1 made “positive progress,” with both sides agreeing to continue discussions at a later date.
Israel has also reiterated that it will continue military operations against Hezbollah despite the existing ceasefire framework with Lebanon. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said the operations would continue as long as Hezbollah posed a security threat to Israel.
Earlier this week, Netanyahu also signalled a shift in Israel’s financial relationship with Washington, saying the country should gradually end its reliance on US financial assistance.
“Our economy is no longer a small economy. We can finance ourselves with this fraction of a per cent of our GDP that we receive from the United States. I want this process to start this year,” Netanyahu said.
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