How Netanyahu ceded to Trump, agreed to Egypt's $35B gas deal
The Israeli prime minister's frustration with Trump administration strong-arming continues, with pressure to sign Egypt gas deal and now a reported push for Sisi meeting.
TEL AVIV — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will have to summon his considerable acting skills to be cordial when greeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at President Donald Trump’s home in Florida for a three-way meeting reportedly being pushed by the Americans. The prospects of such an event remain unclear, however, given Israeli frustrations with Trump administration strong-arming and tensions between Netanyahu and Sisi.
Israeli officials have repeatedly said that Netanyahu and Trump would meet at Mar-a-Lago on Dec. 29 and have also suggested, as Al-Monitor previously reported, the possibility of a second round of discussions between them days later.
Yet, perhaps in an effort to pressure Netanyahu to agree to US plans for Gaza and on other matters, Trump has recently expressed less certainty about a meeting. "Yes, he will probably visit me in Florida," Trump told reporters on Thursday. "He wants to meet me. We haven’t formally arranged it yet, but he wants to meet me."
Reluctantly approving gas deal
