With warmth & humor, Trump meets Netanyahu for 1st time in 4 years, praises ‘very good relationship’ with Bibi while blasting VP Harris

Former U.S. President Donald J. Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and initial indications suggest it could not have gone better for either man.

President Trump greets Prime Minister Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago 🇺🇸🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/UTrjCDar4h

— Margo Martin (@margommartin) July 26, 2024

It was a significant meeting for two reasons:

• First, the two men have not met personally for the past four years after a very serious falling out.

• Second, the meeting comes one day after Netanyahu had his first White House meeting with President Joe Biden in four years.

It was also his first meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris since she became the presumptive Democratic nominee for president and after she pointedly refused to attend Netanyahu’s address to a Joint Session of Congress on Wednesday.

I just landed back in Denver after covering Netanyahu’s visit to Washington.

WHAT DID TRUMP TELL REPORTERS AFTER THE MEETING? 

What struck my attention upon landing was some video that FOX News broadcast of Trump and Netanyahu sitting around a table and chatting with reporters after their official meeting.

Trump blasted Vice President Harris’ comments yesterday that were harshly critical of Israel, made just after her meeting with Netanyahu.

“I think her remarks were disrespectful,” the former president said.

“They weren’t very nice, pertaining to Israel. I actually don’t know how a person who’s Jewish can vote for her, but that’s up to them. But she was certainly disrespectful to Israel, in my opinion.”

Trump was asked if he and Netanyahu were working on repairing their relationship.

“It was never bad,” he insisted. “We’ve always had a very good relationship.”

Then he added, “And if I didn’t, I have a secret weapon. You know what it is? Sara [Netanyahu] sitting right over here. I have Sara. As long as I have Sara, that’s all that matters.”

Everyone in the room erupted with laughter, especially Netanyahu and his wife.

TRUMP WANTS ISRAEL TO WIN IN GAZA FAST AND DECISIVELY 

True, yesterday Trump told FOX News that Netanyahu needs to move faster to win the war in Gaza.

Israel has to “finish up and get it done quickly,” he said, “because they are getting decimated with this publicity.”

Trump added that “Israel is not very good at public relations.”

Some argued that Trump sounded like Biden and Harris and was taking shot at Netanyahu.

But the warmth and humor should dispel that faulty analysis.

Yes, the two leaders have had their differences.

But Trump sees the Israeli people as his friends.

He sees Netanyahu as a friend.

And speaking as a friend, Trump is saying he wants Israel to win, win decisively, win fast, and in so doing, turn the tables on her enemies in the world and in the media and retake the moral high ground.