President Trump will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday (Feb. 15) to discuss the Iran nuclear deal, Israeli settlements, and moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
CBN News reports that this will be Trump’s first meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu since taking office, although the two leaders know each other and have a more agreeable relationship than did President Obama and Netanyahu.
Before boarding the plane to fly to the U.S., Netanyahu stated, “The alliance between Israel and America has always been extremely strong. It’s about to get even stronger. President Trump and I see eye to eye on the dangers emanating from the region but also on the opportunities.”
Discussion of the Iran nuclear deal will reportedly be at the top of the agenda for the two leaders. They will also discuss controversial Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the proposal to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Israeli deputy minister for Public Diplomacy Michael Oren questioned what the U.S. will do once the Iran deal ends: “When the nuclear deal expires and Iran will be able to produce not one nuclear weapon but 200 nuclear weapons in a very short period of time with complete legitimacy, what is the United States going to do to protect Israel, the region and the world from an Iranian regime that has 200 nuclear weapons?”
Oren also commented on Trump’s proposal to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem: “It seems less likely now but I certainly still hope so and I think that there are many steps you could make leading up to that final gesture. If the United States even recognizes that Israel considers Jerusalem its capital that would be a ‘step forward.’”
