Trump, Netanyahu to meet at White House as Israel seeks tariff relief, discussions on Iran, Gaza hostages

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, with Washington’s recently imposed global tariffs set to be part of their talks.

‘This meeting comes at a critical moment on many key issues: the efforts to return our hostages being held by Hamas, the instability in Syria and the threats posed by Iranian proxies,’ Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter told Fox News Digital.

‘The recent implementation of tariff policy will also be discussed. Just as Prime Minister Netanyahu was the first world leader to visit President Trump in his second term in the White House, he is now once again the first leader to meet with the president with regard to deepening economic ties and putting trade relations in order,’ he added.

Netanyahu last met with Trump in Washington on Feb. 4. 

In Wednesday’s ‘Liberation Day’ announcement, a 17% tariff on goods imported from Israel – a 10% baseline on all countries that took effect on April 5 and an additional 7% – was scheduled for April 9.

‘The fear is that these tariffs will hurt exports of diamonds as well as high-tech or defense systems like drones. If our income were to be reduced as a result, this would be a problem,’ Alex Coman, a value-creation expert at the Holon Institute of Technology in Israel, told Fox News Digital. 

‘These tariffs came as a surprise. Prior to this decision, there were very few imposed, many products did not have them and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich eliminated those that existed,’ adding, ‘As such, I am very optimistic that these tariffs will be reduced.’

U.S. total goods trade with Israel was an estimated $37.0 billion in 2024, including $14.8 billion in exports, up 5.8% ($813.7 million) from 2023, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. U.S. goods imports from Israel totaled $22.2 billion in 2024, up 6.7% ($1.4 billion) from the previous year.

The U.S. trade deficit with Israel was $7.4 billion in 2024, an 8.6% increase ($587.0 million) over 2023.

The Trump administration reportedly calculated the tariff by dividing the trade deficit ($7.4 billion) by the value of imports to America ($22.2 billion) and then essentially halving the figure to reach 17%.

The subject was raised during a phone call between Trump and Netanyahu on Thursday, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán also taking part. The next day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with the Israeli premier to ‘underscore U.S. support for Israel,’ according to a U.S. readout of the call.

Trump’s move surprised Netanyahu, prompting him to begin efforts to negotiate a reduction of the tariff to 10%. Smotrich also signed an order to eliminate the last remaining Israeli tariffs on the import of primarily agricultural goods from the U.S. 

Jerusalem and Washington signed a free trade deal in 1985, the United States’ first-ever such agreement, and since then some 98% of goods have been traded tax-free.

Netanyahu and Trump will also discuss the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip along with efforts to free the 59 remaining hostages taken during Hamas’ terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023; Turkey’s military intervention on behalf of the new al Qaeda-linked leadership in Syria; the Iranian nuclear threat; and the ongoing battle to thwart the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, according to the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem.

‘The top issue to be discussed will be Iran because it seems [nuclear] negotiations might begin. I believe Netanyahu will want to caution Trump ahead of time,’ Ariel Kahana, a senior diplomatic correspondent for the Israel Hayom daily newspaper, told Fox News Digital. 

‘We saw the report about the U.S. sending a second THAAD anti-missile battery to Israel on top of equipment America is already sending, and they will want to coordinate all of that together,’ he continued. 

‘They will also talk about the war in Gaza, the hostages and the tariffs, which Netanyahu will try to at least lower. With regards to Turkey, I assume Netanyahu will ask Trump to put some limits on [President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan. It seems that both Israel and Turkey are trying to expand their presence or activities in Syria, and it might reach a point that could lead to a direct military conflict,’ Kahana said.

Upon leaving Hungary on Sunday, Netanyahu told reporters about the importance of his visit to meet with President Trump at the White House on Monday.

‘I can tell you that I am the first international leader, the first foreign leader, who will meet with President Trump on this issue, which is so important to Israel’s economy. There is a very long line of leaders who want to do the same regarding their own economies. I believe this reflects the special personal relationship and the special bond between the United States and Israel, which is so vital at this time,’ Netanyahu said.