The Media Line: Netanyahu To Visit Washington as Trump Pushes Ceasefire, End to Trial, and Syria-Israel Deal 

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Netanyahu To Visit Washington as Trump Pushes Ceasefire, End to Trial, and Syria-Israel Deal 

By The Media Line Staff 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit the White House on July 7 for high-stakes talks with US President Donald Trump, as the American president intensifies pressure for a ceasefire in Gaza, a hostage deal with Hamas, and a broader regional reset—including a landmark diplomatic opening with Syria. 

The visit follows Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer’s trip to Washington for discussions with senior U.S. officials on Gaza, Iran, and the next phase of diplomacy. A White House official said Netanyahu’s meeting will address regional issues, including Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza and recent overtures toward Syria’s new government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa. 

President Trump has expressed growing urgency to end the Gaza conflict, telling reporters last week, “We think within the next week we’re going to get a ceasefire.” On Truth Social, he urged, “MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that bringing the war to a close is a top priority. “He wants to save lives,” she said. 

But the lead-up to Netanyahu’s visit has also been marked by controversy. President Trump has repeatedly called for Israel to cancel Netanyahu’s long-running corruption trial, arguing that it hampers sensitive negotiations. “It is INSANITY doing what the out-of-control prosecutors are doing to Bibi Netanyahu,” he wrote. President Trump, who recently faced his own legal setbacks in the US, claimed that the trial interferes with both Hamas and Iran diplomacy and even hinted at linking US military assistance to its cancellation. 

“The United States of America spends billions of dollars a year, far more than on any other nation, protecting and supporting Israel. We are not going to stand for this,” he said. Netanyahu welcomed the backing, responding, “Together, we will make the Middle East Great Again!” 

The Israeli prime minister has requested a two-week delay in his trial, citing urgent national security responsibilities after the Iran conflict and the ongoing Gaza war. Netanyahu is on trial for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three cases dating back to his earlier terms. The hearings have dragged on for four years, with multiple delays, some of which were initiated by Netanyahu himself. 

Beyond Gaza and the courtroom, Trump has also opened a new front in Middle East diplomacy by lifting most US sanctions on Syria and launching exploratory talks between Israel and Syria. These talks follow the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime last year and the rise of al-Sharaa, a former Islamist rebel who has signaled interest in peace with Israel. 

US and Israeli officials are now engaged in what one American official described as “very soft preliminary discussions” on a new security arrangement, possibly leading to normalization. Netanyahu has reportedly told President Trump’s Syria envoy, Tom Barrack, that Israel would consider phased withdrawals from occupied Syrian territory—including parts of Mount Hermon—in exchange for full peace. 

The potential breakthrough faces obstacles, especially over the status of the Golan Heights, which Israel annexed in 1981. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar reiterated this week that “the Golan Heights will remain part of Israel under any future deal.” 

Netanyahu’s upcoming visit may serve as a diplomatic reset, a legal battleground, and a personal celebration of what both leaders view as a joint military triumph over Iran.