Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump sat down in the Oval Office on Monday to discuss two pressing issues: the ongoing hostage crisis in Gaza and US tariffs on Israeli goods.
The two leaders talked about efforts to negotiate the release of hostages still held by Hamas, after the deadly October 7 attack on Israel. “We’re working now on another deal that we hope will succeed,” Netanyahu told reporters. “We’re committed to getting all the hostages out.”
At the time of the meeting, 58 hostages remained in captivity, with 34 of them confirmed dead. The conversation, however, didn’t provide new details on the situation in Gaza, where Israeli military strikes continue.
Bilateral trade was also on the agenda. Netanyahu told Trump that Israel plans to eliminate the trade deficit with the United States, which reached a hefty $7.4 billion last year. He said Israel could do this quickly and set an example for other nations. “We intend to do it very quickly,” Netanyahu added.
While Netanyahu seemed positive about improving trade relations, Trump was less clear on whether he would lower tariffs on Israeli goods. The US has imposed tariffs of up to 17% on certain Israeli products, and Netanyahu is pushing to fix the trade imbalance.
Trump mentioned that Israel gets $4 billion in US aid every year, which seemed to indicate he might not be keen on making changes to the current tariff situation. "Maybe not," Trump said, adding, “We have many countries that are coming to negotiate deals with us.”
Netanyahu’s visit came after Israel had already taken steps to remove tariffs on some US imports, as both nations work to improve their trade relations. The meeting marked the first time a foreign leader had discussed tariffs directly with Trump, highlighting the importance of this issue for both countries.
As Israel and the US continue their discussions, many will be watching closely to see how the two leaders move forward on these key matters.
