Trump and Netanyahu envoy met about Middle East wars
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Ron Dermer speaks during the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) Annual Leadership Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., on Nov. 6, 2021. Photo: Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's confidant Ron Dermer met President-elect Trump in Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, according to two Israeli officials and two U.S. officials with knowledge of the meeting.
Why it matters: An Israeli official said the meeting was aimed at passing messages from Netanyahu to Trump and briefing the President-elect on Israel's plans in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran for the next two months before Trump takes office.
- "One of the things the Israelis wanted to sort out with Trump is what are the issues he prefers to see solved before January 20 and what are the issues he prefers the Israelis to wait for him," a U.S. official said.
- The U.S. officials mentioned the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire efforts, the plan for Gaza after the war ends and Israeli-Saudi normalization efforts as issues the Israelis want to take Trump's pulse on.
- Dermer also met with Jared Kushner, a source with knowledge of the meeting said.
- Trump's spokesperson, Dermer and the Israeli Prime Minister's Office didn't respond to questions about the meeting.
- U.S. officials said Netanyahu notified the Biden administration in advance about Dermer's meeting with Trump.
Flashback: Dermer, who is Netanyahu's Minister of Strategic Affairs, and Trump worked together during the first Trump administration when Dermer was the Israeli ambassador to Washington.
Driving the news: After his meetings in Mar-a-Lago, Dermer arrived in Washington on Monday to meet with senior Biden administration officials.
- He met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and he is expected to meet with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Biden's advisers Brett McGurk and Amos Hochstein.
State of play: Dermer discussed with Blinken the U.S. ultimatum for Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza by Nov. 13.
- If it determines Israel has not taken sufficient steps to improve the humanitarian situation, the Biden administration could suspend arms supplies to Israel, in accordance with U.S. law.
- The Israeli security cabinet approved on Sunday night several steps to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza and increase the number of aid trucks coming in, Israeli officials said.
- But, Israeli officials admit they won't be able to meet the U.S. demand that at least 350 aid trucks be able to enter Gaza daily.
- U.S. officials say Israel has made significant progress but still has work to do on most U.S. demands.
The big picture: Dermer will also discuss with the Biden administration the efforts to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.
- U.S. officials said Netanyahu indicated to the Biden administration that he wants to end the war in Lebanon within weeks.
- The Biden administration and the Israeli government still haven't agreed on the wording of a letter that would include a U.S. commitment that Israel would be able to take military action in Lebanon if the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers don't prevent Hezbollah from reestablishing military activity near the border or smuggling heavy weapons into Lebanon, U.S. officials said.
- A U.S. official said Biden's adviser Amos Hochstein and the Israelis exchanged several drafts in recent days but still haven't reached an agreement.
- "We just have a couple more things to work through with the Israeli side, but we are almost done," a U.S. official said.
Yes, but: Any agreement with the Israelis would have to be presented to Lebanese leaders. Hezbollah has said it won't agree to a deal that allows Israel to take military action in Lebanon after a ceasefire is reached.
- "There is no agreement at the moment. We think that deal is coming together, but like anything nothing done until it's done," a U.S. official said.
