Netanyahu was hoping for a smooth trip abroad before Passover, starting with a visit to Hungary where he’d meet with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a strong supporter of Israel. The visit was mostly for Netanyahu to celebrate Hungary pulling out of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to enjoy some downtime with his wife, Sara, at a luxurious hotel.
Before leaving, Netanyahu’s government also made a last-minute move to scrap tariffs on U.S. imports to get ahead of the tariffs Trump was planning. However, as Netanyahu boarded his plane, Trump dropped a bombshell – announcing a 17% tariff on Israeli products.
But things seemed fine when Netanyahu arrived in Hungary. Orban greeted him with a grand military display, and after Hungary’s ICC announcement, Netanyahu had a phone call with Trump, who told him to come to Washington to discuss the tariff issue. It looked like Netanyahu could smooth things over in the U.S.
However, when Netanyahu met Trump in Washington, things quickly took a turn. First, Trump surprised him by announcing talks with Iran about its nuclear program, something that caught Netanyahu off guard. Then, when it came to the tariffs, Trump wasn’t ready to budge. Despite a meeting the night before with U.S. officials, Trump didn’t commit to removing the tariffs on Israel, instead downplaying Israel’s significance with comments about the $4 billion in aid the U.S. provides annually.
To make matters worse for Netanyahu, Trump praised Turkey’s Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israel, calling him “very smart” and congratulating him on his actions in Syria. Netanyahu was left in a difficult spot, realizing that Trump wasn’t swayed by his usual diplomatic charm. He had hoped to walk away from the meeting with a deal on the tariffs, but instead, he was caught in a mix of unexpected surprises, from Iran to praise for Israel’s adversaries.
Netanyahu’s trip to Washington ended up being a letdown. What was supposed to be a victory for him, addressing tariffs and trade with Trump, turned into a missed opportunity and a wake-up call that Trump isn’t easily influenced, no matter how close the ally.
