Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Jerusalem, Feb. 18, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

i24 News – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed Sunday morning for Washington, DC, where he will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday.

Netanyahu called the meeting “very important,” stressing that this will be the first meeting between Trump and a foreign leader in his second term in office.

“I think it’s a testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance. It’s also a testimony to the strength of our personal friendship,” he said.

He also touted the achievements Trump and the US-Israel relationship have scored in his time in office, including peace treaties with four Arab and Muslim countries in the framework of the Abraham Accords.

“In this meeting we’ll deal with important issues, critical issues facing Israel and our region: Victory over Hamas, achieving the release of all our hostages and dealing with the Iranian terror axis in all its components – an axis that threatens the peace of Israel, the Middle East and the entire world,” Netanyahu told reporters on the tarmac.

“The decisions we made in the war have already changed the face of the Middle East. Our decisions and the courage of our soldiers have redrawn the map. But I believe that working closely with President Trump, we can redraw it even further and for the better,” he said.

“I believe that we can strengthen security, broaden the circle of peace and achieve a remarkable era of peace through strength.”