Daijiworld Media Network – Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Jul 4: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have agreed to hold a meeting in the United States in the near future following a telephone conversation held on Friday, according to a statement issued by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
During the conversation, Netanyahu congratulated Trump on the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and highlighted the close ties between the two nations.
"The US is what ensures the freedom of the world, and Israel greatly appreciates the tight bond between the nations," the PMO quoted Netanyahu as saying.
The statement added that both leaders agreed to meet soon in the US, although no specific date or venue for the meeting was disclosed.
The proposed meeting comes amid recent public criticism by Trump of Netanyahu after Israel's conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon threatened ongoing peace negotiations involving Iran.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to advance the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran have continued. On Jul 1, Qatar and Pakistan held separate meetings in Doha with US and Iranian negotiators, with Qatar reporting "positive progress" in the talks.
According to Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson, the parties agreed to continue discussions, with the next round of negotiations to be scheduled at the earliest opportunity after the funeral processions of Iran's former Supreme Leader.
At the same time, Israel has reiterated that it will continue military operations against Hezbollah despite the ceasefire framework with Lebanon.
Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, continues to pose a direct security threat and that lasting peace in Lebanon would not be possible unless the group is disarmed.
Speaking in a virtual interview, Haskel said Israel would continue military action as long as Hezbollah attacks Israeli territory.
"If Hezbollah continues to attack Israel, we will continue to defend our people, our communities and our forces," she said, adding that both Israel and the Lebanese government share an interest in dismantling Hezbollah's military capabilities.
Earlier, on Jun 30, Netanyahu announced a major policy shift by expressing his intention to end American financial assistance to Israel, saying the country's economy was now strong enough to sustain itself without foreign aid.
"I want to stop American aid. It's like welfare; I don't want it," Netanyahu said.
He added that Israel's economy had grown significantly and was capable of financing itself without relying on the small percentage of GDP received annually from the United States.
"Our economy is no longer a small economy... we can finance ourselves with this fraction of a per cent of our GDP that we receive from the United States. I want this process to start this year," he said.