"Israeli Prime Minister to Visit White House on 7th"…Trump Focuses on 'Tariff Negotiations'

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, is expected to visit the White House on the 7th to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. This meeting is drawing attention as it will be the first summit since President Trump announced high reciprocal tariffs targeting various countries.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Photo by Yonhap News

According to Yonhap News and foreign media on the 5th, Prime Minister Netanyahu will become the first foreign leader to attempt tariff negotiations with President Trump during his visit to the White House on the 7th. Additionally, discussions are expected to cover the Iran nuclear issue and the Gaza Strip conflict. Relatedly, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also revealed that he held a phone call on the same day to discuss tariff matters.

Originally, Netanyahu’s visit to the U.S. was scheduled for mid to late this month, but it was reportedly advanced after President Trump personally called on the 3rd. Israel is also the first country to hold a summit with the Trump administration’s second term.

Earlier, Israel proactively announced a policy to eliminate tariffs on U.S.-made products to avoid American tariffs, but on the 2nd, President Trump announced a 17% tariff rate on Israel. This rate consists of a basic tariff of 10% applied to all countries plus an additional 7 percentage points of country-specific tariffs.

Meanwhile, countries such as Vietnam and India, along with Israel, are also rushing to contact the White House to begin full-scale tariff negotiations. Initially, the U.S. side stated that the tariffs were not for negotiation but rather a 'national emergency response,' but as President Trump appears to be entering individual negotiations with various world leaders, it is increasingly clear that the tariffs serve as a bargaining chip for restructuring trade order.

Regarding this, President Trump also hinted at negotiations during a meeting with reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Florida the previous day, saying, "Every country has contacted us," and "That’s the appeal of what we do, and we can control the situation ourselves."