The Israeli prime minister’s visit comes as fighting continues in Gaza, with no truce between Israel and Hamas and no agreement on the release of hostages held in the Palestinian enclave. Since October 7, 2023, relations between Israel and the United States have been on a roller coaster ride.
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The trip will be scrutinized in Israel: the families of the 120 hostages still being held in Gaza claim to Benjamin Netanyahu an agreement for their return. Their families and tens of thousands of people demonstrate almost every day, like Rachel Feldman. The latter regrets that the Prime Minister is leaving while ” the country is in a catastrophic state “Benyamin Netanyahu should have” immediately make a deal to try to bring back the hostages, but he has no desire to do so ” she laments to our correspondent in Jerusalem, Michel Paul. He is ” responsible for the situation in Israel, as much as Hamas ” she scolds.
One of Israel’s most renowned psychologists, Professor Gershon Ben Shahar, also questions the aims of this trip, while a deal on the hostages has not been finalized. Why was he invited? He destroys relationships with the UNITED STATES. »
On Monday, July 22, the Hostage Forum announced the deaths of two men kidnapped on October 7 by Hamas and taken to the Gaza Strip: Yagev Buchshtab, 35, and Alex Dancyg, 76. These deaths are a ” stern reminder of the emergency ” to free the hostages, the forum says.
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Relations damaged by the war in Gaza
During his trip to Washington, Benjamin Netanyahu will try to strengthen ties between Israel and the United States – its first ally and main military supporter –, undermined by the hostilities in Gaza. The question of the hostages and especially the Gazan civilians killed by the bombs supplied by the United States irritates Washington. The White House has also been trying, with Qatar and Egypt, to relaunch negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in recent days.
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It is not at the invitation of the White House that Benjamin Netanyahu is going to Washington, but at that of the Republican and Democratic parliamentary leaders. Benjamin Netanyahu is due to speak before the elected members of Congress on Wednesday, July 24. An exercise he knows well since this will be his fourth intervention of this kind. The last one in 2015 had particularly irritated President Barack Obama. This time, Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in the American federal capital at a particular moment, two days after Joe Biden withdrew from the race for the White House.
Perhaps the most American of Israeli prime ministers, Benjamin Netanyahu will try to force the hand of the American administration on several issues, particularly on Iranian nuclear power. Meetings are planned with Kamala Harris, Joe Biden on Tuesday, and perhaps Donald Trump as well. Benjamin Netanyahu will be careful not to offend anyone.