Netanyahu Says He Will ‘Make History’ With Trump in U.S. Visit
(Bloomberg) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will “make history” with President Donald Trump in a visit to Washington this week, when the U.S. leader is slated to present his long-awaited peace plan.
“I am going to meet with President Trump tomorrow,” Netanyahu said at the airport, before taking off to Washington. “On Tuesday, together with him, we will make history.”
Netanyahu and his main election challenger, former Israeli military chief Benny Gantz, accepted invitations to the White House ahead of Trump’s planned release of his long-awaited Middle East peace plan. Israel is scheduled to hold a third election in less than a year on March 2, after two previous attempts resulted in no leader being able to put together a governing coalition.
While Netanyahu didn’t reveal any details from the plan, he said that the proposal would advance Israel’s “vital interests.”
“Such an opportunity occurs once in history, and we cannot miss it,” the prime minister said at a cabinet meeting earlier on Sunday.
“We are in the midst of very dramatic diplomatic events, but the peak is yet before us,” Netanyahu said to the ministers. He added that he has spoken with the president and his staff in “many dozens of conversations” about Israel’s security and national needs, and that in all these talks, he has found an “attentive ear” in the White House.
Gantz is slated to meet Trump separately on Monday at the White House.
Palestinian leaders have spurned talks with the Trump administration, citing what they have called a series of moves showing favor toward Israel. Those include moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and proclaiming that Israeli settlements in the West Bank aren’t necessarily illegal.
To contact the reporter on this story: Alisa Odenheimer in Jerusalem at aodenheimer@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Shaji Mathew at shajimathew@bloomberg.net, James Amott, Sara Marley
For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com
Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
