Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump presented a united front and praised each other as they held another meeting to discuss tensions in the Middle East.
On Monday, Netanyahu made his fifth visit to the United States since Trump's inauguration in January, meeting the president at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
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Their mutual adulation turned into geopolitical alignment as the two leaders addressed the most pressing issues in the Middle East: Gaza and Iran.
Trump claimed that Israel is helping the people of Gaza and dismissed Israel's almost daily violations of the ceasefire.
These are the key takeaways from Monday's meeting.
Trump insists that Hamas must disarm
Before and after his meeting with Netanyahu, Trump emphasized that Hamas must disarm, issuing a stern threat to the Palestinian group.
Asked what would happen if Hamas refused to hand over its weapons, Trump said: “It would be horrible for them, horrible. It's going to be really, really bad for them.”
Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington's top priority was moving to the second phase of the ceasefire, which would involve the establishment of a technocratic Palestinian administration and the deployment of an international police force.
But on Monday, Trump kept the focus on Hamas, reiterating the claim that other countries have offered to “eliminate” them if the group refuses to hand over its weapons.
Israel has killed 414 Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the ceasefire in October, and continues to restrict the flow of international aid to the territory, including temporary shelter supplies, even as people suffer deadly weather conditions in makeshift tents.
Trump, however, said Israel is fully meeting its commitments under the deal: “100 percent.”
“I'm not worried about anything Israel is doing,” he told reporters.
The United States threatens Iran
Trump suggested Washington would take more military action against Iran if Tehran rebuilds its nuclear program or missile capabilities.
The president returned again and again to the oft-cited argument that the U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June are what paved the way for the ceasefire in Gaza.
“Now I hear that Iran is trying to rebuild again, and if they do, we're going to have to take them down,” Trump said.
“We'll take them down. We'll beat them down. But hopefully that won't happen.”
In recent weeks, Israeli officials and their American allies have shifted attention to Iran's missile program, arguing that it must be addressed before it poses a threat to Israel.
Asked whether the United States would support an Israeli attack on Iran's missile program, Trump said: “If they continue with the missiles, yes. Nuclear ones? Quick. Okay? One will be: Yes, absolutely. The other is: We'll do it right away.”
Iran has ruled out negotiations over its missile program and has denied trying to build a nuclear weapon.
Meanwhile, Israel is widely believed to have an undeclared nuclear arsenal.
bromance festival
Since the early days of Israel's genocidal war in Gaza, American media reports have suggested that the American president, first Joe Biden and then Trump, was angry or frustrated with Netanyahu.
But US military and diplomatic support for Israel has never been interrupted.
Ahead of Netanyahu's visit, similar reports emerged about a possible rift between him and Trump.
However, the two leaders showed a sign of brotherly romance on Monday..
Trump called Netanyahu a “hero” and emphasized that Israel might not have existed without his wartime leadership.
“We are with you and we will continue to be with you, and there are a lot of good things happening in the Middle East,” Trump told Netanyahu.
“We have peace in the Middle East and we are going to try to keep it that way. I think we will be very successful in keeping it that way. And you have been a great friend.”
The US president also highlighted his efforts to secure a presidential pardon for Netanyahu, who faces corruption charges in Israel.
The Israeli prime minister announced that the American president will receive the Israel Prize, which is normally awarded to Israeli citizens.
“I have to say that this reflects the overwhelming sentiment of Israelis across the spectrum,” Netanyahu said.
“They appreciate what they have done to help Israel and assist in our common battle against terrorists and those who would destroy our civilization.”
Notably, Netanyahu has not been pardoned.
Trump calls for rapprochement between Israel and Syria
One area where Trump appeared to put pressure on Netanyahu was Syria.
Trump said Netanyahu “will get along well” with Syria and praised Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Since the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad last year, Israel has expanded its occupation of southern Syria beyond the Golan Heights, seizing large areas in Jabal al-Sheikh. The Israeli military has also been carrying out raids and reportedly kidnapping and disappearing people in the country.
The new Syrian authorities have stressed that they do not seek a conflict with Israel, but talks to reach a security agreement between the two countries have stalled.
“We have an understanding regarding Syria,” Trump said. “Now, with Syria, we have a new president. I respect him. He is a very strong guy, and that is what is needed in Syria.”
Netanyahu did not commit to Israel's approach to Syria.
“Our interest is to have a peaceful border with Syria,” he said. “We want to make sure that the border area right next to our border is safe: we don't have terrorists, we don't have attacks.”
On the resumption of the war in Lebanon: “We'll see.”
Since the start of the truce in Gaza, Israel has intensified its attacks in Lebanon, raising fears that it could relaunch its full-scale war against the country.
Earlier this year, the Lebanese government issued a decree to disarm Hezbollah, but the group pledged to retain its weapons to defend the country against Israel.
On Monday, Trump did not rule out a resumption of the conflict in Lebanon.
“We'll see,” the president said when asked if he would support more Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
“The Lebanese government is a little bit at a disadvantage, if you think about it, with Hezbollah. But Hezbollah has been behaving badly, so we'll see what happens.”
