Israeli Prime Minister Lands at Washington for Face-to-Face Effort To Blunt Impact of Trump’s Tariffs

Prime Minister Netanyahu is at the front of the line for trade talks with President Trump, meeting at Washington on Monday to discuss the 17 percent tariff to be imposed on Israel this week as part of the president’s sweeping global tax plan. The two will also discuss the resumption of Israel’s offensive against Hamas at Gaza, among other issues, ahead of a dual press conference Monday afternoon.The leaders are meeting on “the tariff issue, the efforts to return our hostages, Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat, and the battle against the International Criminal Court,” the prime minister’s office said on social media. Mr. Netanyahu’s meetings at Washington kicked off Sunday evening at Blair House with Mr. Trump’s Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, and the U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer. Mr. Netanyahu’s office described the talk as “warm, friendly, and productive.”Speaking on “Face the Nation” on Sunday morning, Mr. Lutnick called America’s trade deficit a “national security” issue, and said America will protect companies that invest in America. He did not say how long the tariffs would stay in place, but that implementation would not be postponed.“The president needs to reset global trade. Everybody has a trade surplus and we have a trade deficit,” he said. “Everyone in the world sells to us. We are the only ones with a trade deficit. … It shows all these companies know they’re ripping us off and those days have come to an end.”Israel, a close American ally, exported $17.36 billion during 2024 while America sent $14.79 billion worth of goods to the Jewish state, according to data from the United Nations. Israel’s primary exports include electrical and electronic equipment, precious gems and metals, optical and photographic equipment, machinery, and pharmaceutical products on top of dozens of other products. America sends back many of these products to Israel on top of arms and aircraft.Israel had hoped to divert the tariff regime before it took effect. Israel’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, moved last week to discontinue tariffs on American imports, meeting with senior ministry staff to work out the details, according to the Times of Israel, which reported that the Manufacturers Association of Israel was concerned about the impact of tariffs on Israeli manufacturers, jobs, and access to the American market.The manufacturers association chief, Ron Tomer, estimated that tariffs could hit Israeli exports by as much as $2.3 billion and between 18,000 and 26,000 Israelis could lose their jobs. That’s without tariffs on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors, which Mr. Trump’s tariff regime excludes. Biotech, plastics, metals, chemical and fuels, and electronic components are all included in the tariffs.The invitation to the White House came while Mr. Trump called Mr. Netanyahu and Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, last week while the two were together in Budapest. The call followed Mr. Orbán’s announcement that Hungary was to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, according to Axios. The schedule gelled after Mr. Trump suggested to reporters aboard Air Force One that the two could meet “maybe even next week.”“There is a very large queue of leaders who want to (do) this with respect to their economies. I think it reflects the special personal connection and the special connection between the United States and Israel, which is so vital at this time,” Mr. Netanyahu said as he departed Hungary on Sunday.Returning to Washington from Mar-a-Lago on Sunday evening, the president said the tariff plan has already resulted in $7 trillion pledged to be invested in America, including $1 trillion in the next year. He suggested that Iran would be another topic he and Mr. Netanyahu will broach.“We’re going to talk about trade, and we’re going to talk about the obvious subject, you know what the obvious subject is,” he said. “There are a lot of things going on with the Middle East right now that have to be silenced.”This is Mr. Netanyahu’s second visit to the White House since the president returned to office in January. The two leaders met in February to discuss next steps in the conflict with Hamas after a ceasefire was declared. That agreement ended after an initial exchange of prisoners for hostages and a new ceasefire has failed to take hold. Hamas still holds 59 hostages, 24 of whom are thought to still be alive. After the previous meeting, Mr. Trump suggested resettling Gazans to a new territory, an idea sharply criticized in the Arab world. Mr. Netanyahu’s defense minister has said Israel will seize large areas of the territory and add them to its so-called security zones.Some relatives of the remaining hostages urged President Trump to pressure Mr. Netanyahu to end the hostilities during their meeting on Monday. Monday marks one and a half years since the hostages were kidnapped. “You are in the United States and you should sit there with President Trump and finish a deal for everyone to get home. We are expecting this,” said the grandmother of hostage Edan Alexander, Varda Ban Baruch, during a rally outside the prime minister’s home on Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Lands at Washington for Face-to-Face Effort To Blunt Impact of Trump’s Tariffs

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