In a highly symbolic meeting at Mar-a-Lago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented former President Donald Trump with a ‘total victory’ hat and a framed photograph of a child held hostage in Gaza. This visit, occurring shortly after Netanyahu’s discussions with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington, D.C., underscored the deep personal and political ties between the two leaders.
Netanyahu gifts Trump a blue baseball cap emblazoned with the words ‘TOTAL VICTORY’
During their meeting in Palm Beach, Florida, Netanyahu and Trump exchanged warm greetings, with Netanyahu gifting Trump a blue baseball cap emblazoned with the words ‘TOTAL VICTORY’ in white. The phrase is believed to refer to Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza, rather than the upcoming 2024 U.S. presidential election.
Netanyahu shared the visit’s highlights on social media, posting photos and a video that captured the cordial atmosphere. One image featured Netanyahu holding the cap while standing next to a beaming Trump. “Shabbat Shalom,” Netanyahu wrote in his post on X (formerly Twitter), accompanied by emojis of the Israeli and American flags.
In another post, Netanyahu shared a video of him and his wife Sara being welcomed by Trump at Mar-a-Lago. The footage showed the Netanyahus embracing Trump and posing for photographs, with Trump giving a thumbs-up gesture. The video also included Netanyahu explaining the significance of the framed photo he presented to Trump, which depicted a child whose grandfather had requested that it be given to the former president. “We’ll get that taken care of,” Trump assured, posing with Netanyahu for more photos.
According to Trump’s campaign, Netanyahu expressed gratitude for Trump’s efforts during his presidency, including the establishment of the Abraham Accords and the relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Trump, in turn, promised that if re-elected, he would work towards achieving peace in the Middle East and combat antisemitism on college campuses.
Sources told CNN that Netanyahu had requested the meeting at Trump’s residence, marking their first encounter since Trump’s presidency ended over three years ago. Despite a previously strained relationship following Netanyahu’s congratulations to President Biden on his 2020 election victory—a gesture that reportedly angered Trump—the meeting at Mar-a-Lago appeared to signal a reconciliation between the two leaders.
Just two days prior, in an address to a joint session of Congress, Netanyahu praised Trump for the Abraham Accords and expressed relief that the former president had “emerged safe and sound” from a “dastardly” assassination attempt. In the same speech, Netanyahu also lauded President Biden for his crucial support of Israel following the October attack by Hamas.
The meeting at Mar-a-Lago not only highlighted the personal rapport between Netanyahu and Trump but also reinforced their shared commitment to addressing the challenges facing Israel and promoting peace in the region.