Netanyahu Seeks Tariff Relief and U.S. Support on Iran and Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington on Monday to meet Donald Trump, whom he will likely ask for a reprieve from U.S. tariffs while seeking further backing on Iran and Gaza. Netanyahu becomes the first foreign leader to meet Trump in the U.S. capital since the “Liberation Day” tariffs announcement sent global markets crashing.

Arriving in Washington direct from a visit to Hungary, Netanyahu’s chief objective was to try to persuade Trump to reverse the decision, or at the very least to reduce the 17 percent levy set to be imposed on Israeli imports before it takes effect. Upon arrival, Netanyahu met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, according to his office.

Before leaving Budapest, Netanyahu had said his discussions would cover a range of issues, including “the tariff regime that has also been imposed on Israel”. “I’m the first international leader, the first foreign leader who will meet with President Trump on a matter so crucial to Israel’s economy,” he said in a statement.

“I believe this reflects the special personal relationship and the unique bond between the United States and Israel, which is so vital at this time.” Analysts said Netanyahu would seek to secure an exemption from the tariffs for Israel. “The urgency (of the visit) makes sense in terms of stopping it before it gets institutionalised,” said Jonathan Rynhold, head of political studies at Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv.

Such an exemption would not only benefit Trump’s closest Middle East ally but also “please Republicans in Congress, whose voters care about Israel, but are unwilling to confront Trump on this at this point,” he said. Israel had attempted to avoid the new levy by moving preemptively a day before Trump’s announcement and lifting all remaining duties on the one percent of American goods still affected by them.

But Trump did not exempt Israel from his global salvo, saying the United States had a significant trade deficit with the country, the top beneficiary of U.S. military aid. The Israeli leader’s visit is “also a way for Netanyahu to play the game and show Trump that Israel is going along with him,” said Yannay Spitzer, a professor of economics at Hebrew University.

“I would not be surprised if there is an announcement of some concession for Israel… and this will be an example for other countries.” Netanyahu will also discuss the war sparked by Hamas’s October 2023 attack, the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, and the “growing threat from Iran”, his office said.

On Iran, Trump has been pressing for “direct talks” with Tehran on a new deal to curb the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme. But Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai said Tehran’s proposal for indirect negotiations was “generous, responsible and wise”. “Should the threats against Iran be realised, they would precipitate a swift, immediate and global response from Iran’s side,” he said.