Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump presented a united front at the White House on Monday, with Trump's push to change or scrap Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and concerns over Tehran's foothold in Syria topping the agenda of the two leaders' meeting.
Both leaders have long railed against the deal, citing its limited duration and the fact it does not cover Iran's ballistic missile program or its support for anti-Israel terrorist groups in the region.
In a show of strong support for Netanyahu, who faces legal troubles at home, Trump said his controversial decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital had improved chances for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, despite the Palestinians' insistence that it has, in fact, derailed the stalled peace process further.
Trump said his Mideast team, led by senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner and U.S. Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt, was hard at work on a peace proposal that is nearing completion, but he offered no details on the plan that the Palestinians say will not be worth discussing.
He said that despite the Palestinian Authority's resentment of his decision on Jerusalem, "The Palestinians, I think, badly want to come back to the [negotiation] table. If they don't, we don't have peace and that's a possibility also.
"I am not saying it is going to happen. Everybody said this is the hardest deal to make of any deal. Whenever you have a hard deal, like in business, you say this is almost as bad as Israel and the Palestinians – you use it like as an example. This is the hardest deal. I will tell you [that] if we could make peace between Israel and the Palestinians that would be a great thing for the world that would be a great thing for this country, and for everybody." he said.
Asked when he will present his peace deal, Trump said, "We will see. We are working on it very hard. It would be a great achievement, and even from a humanitarian standpoint – what [would be] better if we could make peace between Israel and the Palestinians? And, I can tell you, we are working very hard on doing that. And I think we have a very good chance.
"The biggest difficulty that anybody has had, and you look over 25 years, nobody could get past, number one, Jerusalem, they couldn't get past it – we have taken it off the table. So, this gives us a real opportunity for peace. We will see how it works out."
Trump said he was looking into the possibility of traveling to Jerusalem in mid-May, when the U.S. Embassy in Israel is slated to move into a temporary location that is now an annex of the U.S. Consulate.
"We're looking at coming," he said. "If I can, I will. … Israel is very special to me and I look forward to being there."
'Iran must be stopped'
For all the warmth between the two leaders, misgivings are percolating under the surface over Iran, as Israel sees Trump's efforts to crack down on the Jewish state's archenemy as lacking.
Iran and its proxies in Syria and Lebanon are a profound concern to Israel, and Netanyahu made clear Iran is his highest priority.
Trump has vowed to pull out of a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran in mid-May unless the U.S. and Europe agree on sanctions that would punish the Islamic republic for activities not covered by the accord or, in some cases, that would be eventually permitted under its terms.
Israeli officials are concerned Trump may not demand enough, particularly on Iran's ballistic missile program, and are wary the administration may be acquiescing to Iran's growing presence in Syria and its influence in Lebanon, Israel's two neighbors to the north.
Speaking at a joint press conference after the meeting, Netanyahu thanked Trump for the warm welcome he and his wife, Sara, have received.
"I want to thank you for your extraordinary friendship and hospitality," he said. "This is the first time we meet in Washington, America's capital, after you declared Jerusalem as Israel's capital. And this was a historic proclamation, followed by your bold decision to move the embassy by our upcoming national Independence Day.
"I want to tell you that the Jewish people have a long memory, so we remember the proclamation of the great king, Cyrus the Great, Persian king 2,500 years ago. He proclaimed that the Jewish exiles in Babylon could come back and rebuild our Temple in Jerusalem. We remember a hundred years ago, Lord Balfour, who issued the Balfour Proclamation that recognized the rights of the Jewish people in our ancestral homeland.
"We remember that 70 years ago, President Harry S. Truman was the first leader to recognize the Jewish state. And we remember how a few weeks ago, President Donald J. Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Mr. President, this will be remembered by our people through the ages. And as you just said, others talked about it; you did it. So, I want to thank you on behalf of the people of Israel, and I look forward to our discussions on both challenges and opportunities.
"If I had to say what is our greatest challenge in the Middle East to both our countries, to our Arab neighbors, it's encapsulated in one word: Iran," Netanyahu continued.
"Iran has not given up its nuclear ambitions. It came out of this nuclear deal emboldened, enriched. It is practicing aggression everywhere, including on our own borders. And I think we have to stop this country that chants, 'Death to Israel, death to America.' Iran must be stopped. That is our common challenge.
"The second is seeking, because of that challenge, to exploit the opportunity for peace, because the Arabs have never been closer to Israel; Israel has never been closer to the Arab states. And we seek also to broaden that peace to the Palestinians.
"So I look forward to those discussions, but I want to just reiterate what you just said: Mr. President, I've been here for nearly four decades with, talking, seeking to build the American-Israel alliance. Under your leadership, it's never been stronger. And the people of Israel see your position on Jerusalem. They see your position on Iran. They see your magnificent defense of Israel and the truth in the United Nations. And I as prime minister see something that you as president see, but others can't see. It's the extent of our intelligence and other cooperation in matters that are vital for the security of both our peoples.
"Mr. President, I just want to say: Thank you for your leadership and thank you for your tremendous friendship," Netanyahu concluded.
Speaking with reporters, Trump noted that the administration "probably has the best relationship with Israel that we ever had. I think we are as close now as maybe ever before.
"We are very, very close to Israel, on [issues such as] military and on terrorism and all of the things that we have to work together on. So, the relationship has never been better, and Mr. Prime Minister, Mrs. Netanyahu, it is a great honor to have you here."
