BICOM

Israel’s Prime Minister has arrived in Washington to meet the new US President for the first time since  his inauguration in late January.

Prior to his departure for Andrew’s Air Force base, Benjamin Netanyahu promised a strengthening of a US-Israel alliance under the Presidency of Donald Trump.

Netanyahu said: “President Trump and I see eye-to-eye on the dangers emanating from the region but also on the opportunities. And we’ll talk about both, as well as upgrading the relations between Israel and the United States in many, many fields.”

Netanyahu faces pressure from settler leaders and members of his own coalition as he heads to the White House. Supporters of settlements, including ministers and MKs from his Likud party, convened yesterday to call on him to take the idea of a Palestinian state off the agenda and to promote construction in the West Bank.

Samaria Regional Council Chairman Yossi Dagan said: “We expect that as a result of this trip, sovereignty will be applied to the settlements in Judea and Samaria.”

As well as meeting President Trump, the Israeli PM will meet with America’s new top diplomat, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, this evening.

The meetings come under a cloud for the new US administration. National Security Advisor Michael Flynn has been forced to resign after he is alleged to have misled senior White House officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, following the admission that he conversations with the Russian Ambassador over sanctions.

The acting Head of Israel’s National Security council Jacob Nagel and Mossad chief Yossi Cohen had both already met Flynn in early December and mid-January, in preparation for the Netanyahu-Trump meeting. They shared Israel’s positions and concerns on Syria, Iran and the Palestinians.