Both the offices of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that the leaders’ July 28 meeting at the White House went well. It was their first gathering since the start of the war with Iran in late February.

Topics included how the U.S. will proceed with the Iran war, what happens if Israel gets involved, Israel’s presence in Syria and the discussion of the memorandum of understanding.

“I have just finished an excellent meeting with President Trump,” Netanyahu said. “When I say excellent, it’s not just lip service. It was a conversation of full partnership, of mutual support, with an understanding of the shared goal to ensure that Iran will not have nuclear weapons, and also other goals.”

Trump described the meeting as “very good.”

But there could be more to the story, according to Guy Ziv, a professor of foreign policy at American University.

“On the surface, they were all smiles, and Netanyahu described it as ‘an excellent meeting’ and ‘one of the best we’ve ever had,’” said Ziv. “But behind the scenes, it’s clear that there are still tensions given where we are with the Iran war, which has not gone according to plan.”

These tensions stem from a “growing divergent interest” between the two world leaders.

“For Trump, ending this war is a priority, and he seems kind of stuck,” Ziv said. “He knows that it’s very unpopular at home. He knows that Netanyahu is not popular in the U.S. and he also understands that the longer this war goes on, the more the global economy is at risk, and [Americans] are going to pay the price for it at the gas pump … That’s been frustrating him [and he’s] looking for a way to end the war.”

Ending the war is not a priority for the prime minister, however. “None of the goals he had laid out happened,” Ziv said of Netanyahu.

But Marcia Bronstein, the regional director of American Jewish Committee Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey, explained that the two sides remain aligned on many larger issues relating to the region.

“The visit keeps Israel’s security, Iran’s destabilizing role, and the future of U.S.-Israel coordination at the center of the conversation,” Bronstein wrote in an email. “Iran’s nuclear ambitions and support for terror are not just Israeli concerns; they are threats to regional stability, U.S. interests, and international security. AJC believes that support for Israel’s security must remain bipartisan and the U.S.-Israel partnership should not be defined by one leader, one administration, or one political party.”

Even before the meeting, tensions simmered between Trump and Netanyahu. The president’s insistence that Netanyahu enable international troops into Gaza as a prerequisite to the meeting and the prime minister’s objection to the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey were both points of contention, according to Ziv.

“That’s an issue of ongoing tension because Trump seems pretty adamant about selling these jets to Turkey and having Turkey as a strong ally, whereas Israel sees Turkey as an increasing regional threat,” Ziv said. “So there’s definitely divergence over that issue.”

Then there’s the 15-point peace plan between Hamas and Israel, which the latter will not support until Hamas completely disarms.

“There’s a lot of differences between how the Israelis and the Americans see [these issues],” Ziv said.

But Trump and Netanyahu’s alliance remains strong, even as U.S. public support for Israel wanes, according to Ziv.

The visit also underscored that Netanyahu’s alliance remains strong with many figures in the Republican Party.

A JNS report described his “series of high-level meetings” with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark, Tim Sheehy, R-Mont. and Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

“Earlier today I had the pleasure to meet with Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu,” Hegseth said on the day of the meeting. “Members of my team, including Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby and Sean Parnell, joined me to reaffirm the strength of our defense partnership and commitment to advancing our shared security interests.”

Cotton and Sheehy also affirmed their support for Israel.

Cotton released a statement about his meeting with the prime minister that referred to Israel as “the best ally we’ve had since Great Britain in World War II.” Sheehy said to Netanyahu directly that, “When you’re under siege, that’s when your true friends come out.”

John Fetterman, D-Pa., was the only Democratic senator to meet with Netanyahu. Like the Republicans, he released a statement affirming his support for Israel.

He called New York City’s Democratic mayor, Zohran Mamdani, who has called for the federal government to arrest Netanyahu for war crimes, “that worthless mayor in New York, you know, saying these kinds of ridiculous claims.”

“Now I think, as far as I know, I was the only Democrat that was proud to push that trash back, and now here we are. I’m proud to stand with Israel through everything,” he said.

Fetterman also called the Iran war “a just war” and said that he was “sorry for what Israel and the Jewish community has suffered,” not just on Oct. 7, but “especially since after Oct. 7.”

jsaffren@midatlanticmedia.com