First in line: Why Netanyahu’s swift White House invite matters - analysis

By swiftly inviting Netanyahu to the White House, Trump is sending a clear message to the region and beyond: Netanyahu and Israel are his close friends.

 ‘IT WILL be telling to see whether Netanyahu can stand up to Trump the same way he took pride in standing up to his Democratic predecessors.’ Here, Netanyahu and Trump participate in the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords on the South Lawn of the White House in September 2020.  (photo credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
‘IT WILL be telling to see whether Netanyahu can stand up to Trump the same way he took pride in standing up to his Democratic predecessors.’ Here, Netanyahu and Trump participate in the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords on the South Lawn of the White House in September 2020.
(photo credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump in the White House on Tuesday, marking the first time an Israeli leader is the first world statesman to meet a newly inaugurated American president.

In the world of diplomacy, optics matter, and this distinction – traditionally given to the leader of Canada, Britain, Mexico, or Japan as a reflection of close ties and the special nature of those relationships – is no trivial matter. It underscores the symbolic importance of the US-Israel relationship.

This is particularly significant considering what happened the last time a new president took office when many worldwide were sitting with a stopwatch measuring how long it would take then-US president Joe Biden to call Netanyahu.

It took a very long time – 28 days, to be exact – and people took notice. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki was even asked about the delayed call at a press conference 23 days in, saying that the president was not intentionally snubbing the prime minister.

“It’s not an intentional dis,” she said to reporters who were noting that Biden had already talked to “every other major ally in Europe and in Asia.”

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump shakes hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they pose in the Rose Garden at the White House this week (credit: REUTERS/LEAH MILLIS)Enlrage image
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump shakes hands with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they pose in the Rose Garden at the White House this week (credit: REUTERS/LEAH MILLIS)

A huge deal was made of this in the media, with interpretations varying from Biden not wanting to give Netanyahu any possible boost before Israeli elections scheduled in March of that year to lingering resentment toward the prime minister from the years when Biden was Barack Obama’s vice president and the icy relationship between the two administrations to efforts to distance Washington from Jerusalem in the hopes that this would bring it closer to the Arab states.

In short, the delayed call was seen as sending a message.

A similar dynamic played out after Netanyahu returned as prime minister in late December 2022. It took Biden nine months to arrange a meeting with him, and even then, it was on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly rather than at the White House.

This snub was viewed as the administration signaling its displeasure toward Israel: displeasure with the prime minister’s hard-right coalition partners, opposition to his judicial overhaul, and broader dissatisfaction with his government’s policies.

There was also a domestic component to this, with Biden trying to placate the progressive wing of the Democratic Party who viewed Netanyahu unfavorably and would look askance at any gesture toward him.


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Just as in 2021, much ink and airtime were devoted to why it took so long for Biden to invite him and what that meant about Israeli-US relations. Netanyahu’s domestic critics jumped on this as proof that he had poisoned Israel-US ties.

Invitation eight days after the inauguration

That was then. Fast forward four years, and Netanyahu has an invitation in hand just eight days after the inauguration, with the meeting to take place on day 15 of the new presidency.

If volumes were read into the time it took Biden to call Netanyahu or invite him to the White House, then – in all fairness – equal attention should be paid to the speed with which the prime minister was invited this time.

So what does it mean?

First, if the delays signaled distance between Jerusalem and Washington, the quickness of the visit signals closeness.By swiftly inviting Netanyahu to the White House, Trump is sending a clear message to the region and beyond: Netanyahu and Israel are his close friends. That is an important message to project early on.

This gesture shows allies and adversaries alike that the US-Israel relationship is back on very firm footing, and Washington’s support for Jerusalem is unwavering. This perception is critical in a region where symbolism matters a great deal.

For Israel’s enemies, like Iran and Hezbollah, this early-stage meeting is likely to be read as a reaffirmation of US support for Israel, dashing any hope they may have had that Washington’s stance on Israel was shifting in their favor.

One of Israel’s key diplomatic assets is its close relationship with Washington – and, just as important, the perception of that closeness. When that closeness is visible, Israel can leverage it with Arab states and others seeking better access to the US.

A freeze-out, on the other hand, sends the opposite impression. If Israel appears to have lost its privileged access to the White House, then one of its key advantages for Arab states with whom it wants to normalize ties diminishes.That is no small matter. Israel has long traded on its unique standing with Washington, not just in the Middle East but with countries worldwide that lack direct access to US power centers.

A White House meeting is a visible demonstration of that access.

Also, when the relations between Israel and the US are seen as warm and close, it has a spillover effect on other countries who take their cues from America. When tensions are visible, and the optics are bad, countries that may want to take a more critical approach toward Israel may feel emboldened, reasoning that if the US is creating distance, they can afford to do the same.

Predictably, some are arguing that such an early meeting is not necessarily a good thing and that Trump is giving Netanyahu a bear hug so that it will be impossible for him to say “no” to future US demands, whether regarding Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Iran, or a Palestinian state.

While there may be some truth to that, the meeting itself coming so soon – and the message that sends – is undeniably positive. It signals to friend and foe alike that the US stands firmly with Israel, a reality that all parties will have to take into consideration when contemplating their next moves.

Even if no major policy announcements emerge from the meeting – though issues such as post-war Gaza, Saudi normalization, Iran, and the Houthis will surely be discussed – its timing alone carries immense symbolic weight.It demonstrates that Israel remains at the forefront of US foreign policy considerations under Trump, a reassuring thought with which to start the next four years.