July 26th 2024.
On a sunny Friday afternoon at Mar-a-Lago, ex-President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were all smiles as they met for the first time since Trump left office. It was a moment filled with warmth and camaraderie as the two leaders exchanged gifts and posed for photos.
Netanyahu, who had just visited with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington, DC, the day before, presented Trump with a blue baseball hat that read "TOTAL VICTORY" in white letters. The phrase was believed to reference Israel's recent war with Hamas in Gaza, but there was no indication that it was directed at the 2024 presidential election.
In addition to the hat, Netanyahu also gifted Trump with a framed photo of a child being held hostage in Gaza. The prime minister explained that the child's grandfather had requested that Trump receive the photo, to which Trump replied, "We'll get that taken care of." The two men then embraced and posed for more photos, with Trump flashing his signature thumbs up.
After their meeting, Netanyahu took to social media to share pictures and videos of the happy occasion. In one post, he wrote "Shabbat Shalom" and included emojis of the Israeli and American flags. In another, he shared a video of himself and his wife Sara walking up the steps of Mar-a-Lago, where Trump greeted them with a warm welcome.
The meeting between Netanyahu and Trump was requested by the Israeli prime minister, sources told CNN. It was the first time the two had seen each other since Trump's term ended more than three years ago. Despite their previous rift over Netanyahu's congratulatory message to Biden after the 2020 election, the two men seemed to have put their differences aside and rekindled their friendship.
During their meeting, the Trump campaign stated that Netanyahu thanked the ex-president for his work while in the White House, including the historic Abraham Accords and the relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem. Trump, in turn, promised to continue working towards peace in the Middle East and fighting against antisemitism on college campuses.
Two days earlier, Netanyahu had praised Trump for his support of Israel in a joint session address to Congress. He also expressed relief that Trump had "emerged safe and sound" from a "cowardly assassination attempt" during his time in office. In the same speech, Netanyahu also commended Biden for his support after Israel was attacked by Hamas in October.
It was clear from their meeting at Mar-a-Lago that the bond between Trump and Netanyahu remained strong, despite any previous disagreements. The two leaders exchanged warm smiles and laughter, setting aside any political differences to focus on their friendship. As they parted ways, both Trump and Netanyahu expressed their hopes for continued cooperation and support between the US and Israel.
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