How Netanyahu factors into Trump's ultimate goal: brokering peace in the Middle East

CNN

2 days ago

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with President Donald Trump Monday marks his third time at the White House since January. Unlike the previous two episodes, there's no public events on the schedule – leaving the two leaders' highly consequential Middle East discussion entirely private.
The difference underscores Trump's parallel approaches to his Israeli counterpart. Even as he pulls Netanyahu close, joining Israel's war on Iran and calling for Netanyahu's corruption trial to be canceled, he is applying pressure on the prime minister to do something for him: end the war in Gaza.
For Trump, a deal ending the 21-month conflict in Gaza would be another data point in both his effort to win a Nobel Peace Prize and his long-running and highly difficult quest to cement peace in the Middle East as part of his legacy. He clearly sees Netanyahu as a critical ally in that goal, though the president has occasionally lashed out at the Israeli leader when he appeared to become an obstacle instead. Now, Trump needs both Hamas and Netanyahu to agree to terms each has previously rejected, namely language about whether the ceasefire will end the war altogether.
After months of halting progress, there does appear to be new momentum toward a deal. Trump simply needs to ensure, potentially by exerting additional pressure on Netanyahu during the White House visit, that it doesn't fall apart.
'The president could put pressure on the prime minister, but can also give enticements, the carrots, if you will,' said Michael Oren, the former Israeli ambassador to the United States. 'One of them would be keeping a military option on the table vis-a-vis Iran, if Iran tries to rebuild some of those destroyed or obliterated nuclear facilities – a very difficult decision given the depth of American opposition, of the public, to further American military involvement in Iran.'
Negotiators from Israel and Hamas were in Qatar hammering out details of a 60-day truce that would include phased release of hostages and allow new aid to flow into the besieged enclave. Trump's foreign envoy Steve Witkoff plans to join the talks later this week, the White House said Monday, an indication that progress was still being made in the talks.
Qatar put forward the latest proposal early last week, and it was quickly accepted by Israel. The plan attempted to address one of Hamas' key demands that any ceasefire agreement would lead to a comprehensive end to the war.
On Friday, Hamas said they had responded positively to the proposal, but that they had also requested adjustments. Despite saying these changes were 'unacceptable,' Israel also announced it would send a team to take part in proximity talks, one of the last stages in the process before a final deal.
In the past, ceasefire deals have seemed close, only to vaporize over intractable disagreements. But the shifting dynamics in the region, prompted by the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, seemed to generate greater optimism that a deal could be at hand.
'The prime minister's coming to this meeting now much strengthened by Israel's military victory over Iran. The president is coming into this meeting much strengthened by America's victory over Iran,' Oren said. 'Both leaders can show a certain amount of flexibility. Clearly, the president wants this deal.'
If an agreement is struck, Trump appears poised to take credit, with help from Netanyahu. The prime minister said as he was departing Israel to come to Washington that his meeting with Trump 'can certainly help advance these results,' and it was clear Trump was hoping the meeting would result in progress.
'I think there's a good chance we have a deal with Hamas during the week, during the coming week, pertaining to quite a few of the hostages,' Trump told reporters in New Jersey on Sunday as he was preparing to return to Washington.
In Trump's mind, ending the war in Gaza could be a critical step toward his larger goals for the region, including the biggest prize: normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel as part of the Abraham Accords that he brokered during his first term. Having Riyadh join the accords could prompt other Arab or Muslim countries to come along as well.
Saudi leaders — including the powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — have said normalization can't happen while the war in Gaza is ongoing, making a ceasefire deal critical to Trump's broader ambitions.
Also critical to Trump's wider goals: a discussion about what happens in Gaza after the war ends. Israel has insisted Gaza cannot govern the enclave. It remains unclear what role the Palestinian Authority would play; it could be critical to securing support from Gulf nations in helping rebuild Gaza.
One option rarely discussed is Trump's proposal — first raised during Netanyahu's visit to the White House in February — to seize control of the strip, remove its Palestinian residents and develop the area as a 'Riviera of the Middle East.'
The plan caused an uproar when Trump first raised the idea alongside Netanyahu during an East Room press conference. But it's mostly been put aside, at least in public discussions of the president's Middle East plans.
On Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the war needed to end, and the hostages returned, before any rebuilding can begin – walking back the 'take over' language that Trump had once used to describe those plans.
'This has become an uninhabitable place for human beings. And the president has a big heart, he wants this to be a prosperous, safe part of the region where people and families can thrive. And there will be a need for a real rebuilding effort when the time comes,' she said. 'But right now, we need to end this war and we need to bring all of the hostages home.'