Netanyahu to Depart for the U.S. on Sunday to Meet Trump

The office of the Prime Minister of Israel announced on Saturday in a brief statement that Benjamin Netanyahu will depart for the United States on Sunday morning to meet with Donald Trump, the President of the United States. The statement adds that Mr. Netanyahu is the first foreign leader to visit the U.S. after Mr. Trump's inauguration. According to the statement, the leaders of the U.S. and Israel will discuss the situation in Gaza, hostages, and countering 'all elements of the Iranian regime's axis of evil' along with other regional issues. Netanyahu's visit to the United States comes at a time when his spokesperson stated in an interview with the Jerusalem Post that Israel would attack the Islamic Republic if necessary, without coordination with the U.S. Omer Dostri, referring to Donald Trump, said: 'His statements still indicate strong support for Israel. Many people in his administration are very pro-Israel and are 'open' to us.' He added: 'We expect to have a like-minded government and are happy to cooperate – we can achieve great things with him in the Middle East.' According to the spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister's office, Mr. Netanyahu believes that 'Trump's aggressive policy in his previous administration should be reinstated.' Omer Dostri continued: 'War is one way to achieve our goals. If the Islamic Republic of Iran stops its nuclear ambitions without an Israeli attack, that would be great. But we do not expect such a thing.' He added: 'Even if the Islamic Republic claims to adhere to its nuclear deal commitments, we must be skeptical; this could be a deception. Trump's previous policy known as 'maximum pressure' worked, and Israel expects to cooperate with him to revive that policy.' When asked about Trump's statements regarding finding a diplomatic solution regarding Iran, he said: 'If an agreement is possible, he will try to reach it. But ultimately, diplomacy has its limits. We will give it a chance, but time is running out. If necessary, we will act, whether with U.S. approval or without it.' This Israeli official added: 'Israel has dealt heavy blows to the Iranian regime's axis of influence in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. We have also significantly damaged Iran's strategic air defense system, missile production capabilities, and some components of its nuclear program. When you put all these factors together, the Islamic Republic may feel cornered, and this could push them to accelerate their nuclear ambitions.' Omer Dostri's message was that Israel is closely monitoring the situation in Iran. He emphasized that 'our eyes are always focused on this issue. And if necessary, we know how to respond.' Following the terrorist attack on October 7 last year, Israel has carried out heavy attacks against Hezbollah and Hamas, two major proxy groups of the Islamic Republic, destroying many commanders and thousands of members of these two terrorist groups, as well as their infrastructure in southern Lebanon and Gaza. Israel also targeted the positions of the Iranian regime in direct response to the regime's attacks on Israel on April 14 and October 2 of this year, causing significant damage to the Islamic Republic's missile and nuclear capabilities.