Trump Invites Netanyahu To White House After Endorsing Strong Israel-Syria Ties | EUROtoday

TEL AVIV, Dec 1 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump has invited Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House within the “near future,” the prime minister’s workplace mentioned on Monday, shortly after Trump mentioned Israel ought to preserve a robust and true dialogue with Syria.

A go to to the White House would mark the Israeli prime minister’s fifth since Trump returned to workplace in January. The two leaders have publicly projected an in depth relationship, although U.S. and Israeli sources have mentioned Trump has at instances expressed frustration with Netanyahu.

The prime minister’s workplace mentioned Netanyahu and Trump mentioned disarming Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza. Trump in September introduced a plan to finish the Gaza warfare and a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in place since October.

Trump earlier mentioned in an announcement that it was essential that Israel maintained a “strong and true dialogue” with neighboring Syria, and that “nothing takes place that will interfere with Syria’s evolution into a prosperous state.”

“Syria and Israel will have a long and prosperous relationship together,” mentioned Trump, whose administration is attempting to dealer a non-aggression pact between the 2 states.

Syria doesn’t formally acknowledge Israel, which has occupied extra Syrian territory since December 2024. It has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since 1967 and later annexed it, a transfer acknowledged by the United States however not by most different international locations.

Trump has backed Syria’s new chief, Ahmed al-Sharaa, whereas Israel voiced hostility over his previous hyperlinks to Islamist militancy and has lobbied Washington to maintain Syria weak.

An Israeli raid in southern Syria on Friday killed 13 Syrians, Syrian state media reported. The Israeli navy mentioned it had focused a Lebanese Islamist militant group there.

The name with Trump additionally got here a day after Netanyahu requested Israel’s president for a pardon in his long-running corruption trial. Trump has publicly voiced help for pardoning Netanyahu and despatched a letter final month urging President Isaac Herzog to think about it.

The prime minister’s readout of the decision made no point out of the pardon. Israeli opposition politicians have come out towards the request and referred to as on Netanyahu to as an alternative resign.