U.S.-Israeli Talks Ahead of Netanyahu’s Visit to the White House

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the situation in Gaza and the release of hostages, as well as customs tariffs, according to a statement from the U.S. State Department.

In the statement, Rubio reaffirmed the United States’ support for Israel, noting that in addition to the situation in Gaza, he discussed with Netanyahu the U.S. administration’s determination to secure the release of hostages held in the Strip, and the recently announced customs tariffs.

Meanwhile, media reports revealed that Netanyahu is scheduled to visit the White House next Monday, making him the first foreign official to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, in an attempt to negotiate a deal to lift Trump’s tariffs.

According to Axios, Israel had attempted to avoid the tariffs imposed by Trump on most countries worldwide by preemptively removing all tariffs on American products, but the effort was unsuccessful.

The report added that the U.S. imposed tariffs of up to 17% on Israeli goods exports, explaining that the rate is based on the significant trade deficit between Washington and Tel Aviv.

Last Wednesday, President Trump announced the imposition of tariffs on imports from 185 countries, initially expressing willingness to negotiate trade issues.

In response, some countries have already announced their intention to take retaliatory measures in reaction to the tariff hikes.