U.S. President Donald Trump has said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could visit the White House as early as next week, although scheduling details are still being finalized.
Speaking in a brief phone interview with Axios on Saturday, Trump described his relationship with Netanyahu as positive, saying, “We get along very good,” before adding that the Israeli leader “knows who the boss is.”
The proposed meeting comes amid reports of disagreements between the two leaders over efforts to end the conflict involving Iran following recent military operations by the United States and Israel.
An Israeli official told Axios that a visit next week may not be possible because Trump is expected to travel to Turkey for a NATO summit on July 7 and 8. The official said the meeting could instead take place the following week.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the two leaders spoke by phone on Friday and agreed to meet “soon” in the United States.
The United States remains Israel’s closest ally. However, Trump has publicly criticized Netanyahu in recent weeks, particularly over Israel’s military actions against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which he said risked undermining diplomatic efforts involving Iran.
