What Netanyahu’s Return to Washington Means for Israel, Iran, and the Future of Gaza
On Monday, all eyes will be on President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu as the latter comes to Washington for what will be their third meeting this year. This makes Netanyahu the world leader who has visited Trump the most in the White House since the start of 2025. Conspiracy theorists and anti-Israel propagandists will tell tales of the Netanyahu (Israel) tail wagging the Trump (US) dog, and worse. Their venom will stream as they scream of schemes, uniquely bringing radical leftists and radical rightists into an unholy alliance. Their biased agenda to bash Israel at every opportunity aside, nobody truly knows what's going to happen in front of the camera, much less behind the scenes.
Iran, Intelligence, and Israeli Security
There are many intuitive things, many guessed about, and perhaps some leaked. However, as far as the agenda items go, it's anyone's guess what that and the outcome will be. Here are some things to look for.
Both leaders will take and share credit publicly, praising one another for the recent achievements in eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat, literally if not figuratively spiking the ball in the end zone. Will there be public declarations of deterring Iran and other bad actors, announcements of additional support for Israel to heighten its preparedness? Privately, it's reasonable to imagine they will discuss intelligence assessments of actual accomplishments, additional threats, and the need for regime change in Iran to actually bring peace, not just for Israel and the US, but also for the Iranian people, albeit while not publicly stating this. If the Iranian nuclear program has only been set back by two years, what's Plan B?
As for the highly enriched uranium that created the urgency for the recent attack, enough to produce as much as ten nuclear weapons, the question is what happened to it. If it were in Fordow, one would think that radioactive fallout would be an issue. Could it have been smuggled out of Iran to North Korea, China, or Russia? Could it have been moved, protected, turned into dirty bombs, to be smuggled across borders and threaten Israel, the US, and the rest of the world?
Gaza Ceasefire Talks and the Hostage Dilemma
There are indications high on Trump's agenda that will at least be a push to end the war in Gaza, maybe even some declaration about how that is happening, with Netanyahu smiling at the president's side. Will such remarks be coordinated or a surprise? Ending the war meaningfully, however, requires more than Israel's withdrawal of its troops. It requires the complete eradication of Hamas in Gaza and the release of the remaining 50 hostages. Talk of a 60-day ceasefire in exchange for a handful of hostages will embolden Hamas and not achieve either of these goals. It will not bring peace.
Reports that Israel has accepted such a framework and Hamas has rejected it are not surprising or new. Netanyahu will surely remind Trump that Hamas' terrorist infrastructure can be defeated, but its ideology (and influence elsewhere) remain alive and "well." What's needed is a true solution for peace in Gaza.
Future Governance in Gaza and the Role of the US
In this context, there will likely be declarations about a Gazan future free of Hamas, but will there be any other long-term, realistic plan proposed? Will Hamas get the memo? Does it care? What about Trump's previously promised that "all hell will break loose," a promise yet unfulfilled? Will Israel do something unilaterally per Trump's desire to have a deal, even if it is a one-sided equation?
After celebrating the recent joint success in eliminating Iran's nuclear threat, it's hard to imagine Trump doing a 180-degree pivot, strong-arming Netanyahu (particularly as a surprise) to agree to an end to the war in Gaza without achieving the war's goals. But it's also hard to imagine Netanyahu not bowing to a degree of pressure from Trump, in order to maintain the relationship. Surely, Netanyahu is not coming to Washington for a public dressing down as happened with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.
Will the US Guarantee Gaza's Security?
Would peacemaker Trump, seeking and believing that even the most intractable issues and genocidal of jihadis can be dealt with through a deal, place himself as guarantor for Hamas not having control in a restructured Gaza? How could that be enforced? Would that mean US control, even boots on the ground, as he hinted in previous statements? Might additional brazen comments be made, even if less than practical, to cajole the Arab world into a broader deal as well?
It could be risky for Trump because Hamas is not looking for a deal, but to survive another day, to achieve its goal of annihilating Israel. Terrorism is their means, and the hostages are their currency. That won't change. Yet such an offer, if it could even happen, could take pressure off Netanyahu at home, claiming success for bringing (some) hostages home, and buffer challenges to his premiership from within his own coalition on one hand, and from the public on the other that he has not done enough to secure the hostages' release and end the war on the other.
Will Trump Support Israeli Annexation of the West Bank?
A Trump cherry on top could be suggesting, if not outright stating, some form of support for Israeli annexation of Judea and Samaria, the "West Bank," giving the Palestinian Authority 60 days, as he did with Iran, to make a deal. Reports are that members of Netanyahu's own Likud party have signed a public statement advocating for such, before the end of this month. Is it coordinated?
This takes place in the context of Netanyahu's popularity at home receiving a bump due to the Iran war, but still polls showing unable to win a governing majority if elections were today. He remains on trial for serious crimes, still having yet to take responsibility for the failures that led up to the October 7 Hamas attack and massacre, parliamentary challenges within his coalition and the opposition, and, at best, elections in the fall of 2026, if not sooner. He will want to paint himself as a hero. Trump may become his biggest public cheerleader.
Speculations or an announcement of other countries joining the Abraham Accords would be a coup, pun intended. Rumors are flying about Syria and Lebanon being next. Of course, this is an exciting possibility, but with a recent assassination attempt on the current Syrian president, a former leader of Al-Qaeda and Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) by ISIS, and Lebanon broken and still under the heels of Hezbollah, it's hard to imagine a stable peace. Even "normalization" sounds like a long shot.
Perhaps to break the ice, Trump will announce an international conference, "Abraham's Tent," bringing together regional leaders who are still officially at war with Israel. But this time, such a conference would include Israel, maybe even in Jerusalem, hosted by President Trump himself.
Symbolism, Strategy, and Surprises
On a lighter note, some wonder if there will be an announcement of the "Trump Dimona Golf Course and Casino," strategically located next to Israel's nuclear reactor, making any possible attack on Dimona an attack on Trump. Maybe Mrs. Netanyahu will come to seek fashion advice, if not a needed makeover, from First Lady Melania Trump.
All of this could be Act II of the remarkable campaign of disinformation, masterfully choreographed between Trump and Netanyahu, setting up something even bigger.
Buckle up. Whatever will be, it won't be boring.
The Genesis 123 Foundation will be hosting a webinar to analyze the outcome and look at next steps, Tuesday July 8 at 9:00 pm Israel time, 2:00pm Eastern (US). Please register here.
*The opinions in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Crosswalk Headlines.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Lior Mizrahi/Stringer
Published Date: July 3, 2025
Jonathan Feldstein was born and educated in the U.S. and immigrated to Israel in 2004. He is married and the father of six. Throughout his life and career, he has been blessed by the calling to fellowship with Christian supporters of Israel and shares experiences of living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel. He writes regularly for a variety of prominent Christian and conservative websites and is the host of Inspiration from Zion, a popular webinar series and podcast. He can be reached at firstpersonisrael@gmail.com
Originally published July 03, 2025.
