Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, July 28, as he seeks to strengthen his standing ahead of an increasingly difficult reelection campaign in Israel. The meeting, their first since launching joint military operations against Iran in February, came as new polls and prediction markets show Netanyahu’s coalition trailing behind his domestic political opponents and his grip on power weakening. The visit highlights Netanyahu’s growing dependence on Trump at a time when the president appears to hold greater influence over the diplomatic direction of the Iran war.
Benjamin Netanyahu seeks Donald Trump’s backing as reelection prospects dim
The closed-door meeting comes as Netanyahu’s domestic standing continues to weaken. An N12 poll published July 18 found 49% of Israelis backing parties aligned with the anti-Netanyahu bloc, compared with 36% supporting his coalition after former Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid merged their parties into the “Together” alliance in April. Prediction markets also point to a highly competitive race. Polymarket, where more than $7.3 million has been traded on predictions regarding Israel’s next prime minister, priced Netanyahu at 40% on Tuesday, narrowly ahead of Bennett at 39%. Former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot stood at 11.1%, while former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman was at 7.1%.
According to reports, the meeting on Tuesday lasted just over an hour. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described Trump’s discussions with both Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as “positive and productive,” while Netanyahu’s office said the leaders held “an excellent and comprehensive discussion on the key issues of the day, first and foremost Iran,” reaffirming their “ironclad commitment to ensuring that Iran never has nuclear weapons.”
נפגש כעת בבית הלבן עם ידידי, נשיא ארה״ב דונלד טראמפ 🇮🇱🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/IGqK52dlwO
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) July 28, 2026
Iran policy approach exposes differences between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu
Although the leaders projected unity publicly, their differences over Iran have become increasingly apparent. Netanyahu had favored continuing military operations against Iran and Hezbollah, while Trump has instead pursued a more diplomatic path involving negotiation and a settlement with Tehran. Israeli journalist Amit Segal wrote in Israel Hayom that “the Americans are making it clear to the Israelis they are the ones who are running the war,” adding that Israel has been “put in the back seat.”
Netanyahu himself appeared to concede Trump’s decisive role during a Fox News interview two days earlier, telling host Maria Bartiromo that “in many ways, it’s [Trump’s] decision” how to proceed on Iran. Netanyahu added that ending the conflict without further fighting was acceptable to him, but that “one way or the other,” Iran has to “end their nuclear program.”
Donald Trump-Benjamin Netanyahu relationship against the backdrop of eroding American support for Israel and Iran war
Trump has his own reasons to tread carefully in his relationship with Israel and Netanyahu. The Iran conflict has become increasingly unpopular in the U.S. and has fueled concerns about rising consumer prices ahead of November’s midterm elections. Vice President J.D. Vance previously warned Israeli officials that Trump remains their strongest and only international ally, while bipartisan American support for Israel continues to erode.
Ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, Trump acknowledged some differences with Netanyahu, telling reporters, “We have a little difference. But pretty close, yeah.”
American support for Israel in decline
Recent polling reflects growing skepticism toward Israel among Americans. An AP-NORC survey published this month found that about one-third of U.S. adults, including roughly half of Democrats, believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians during the Gaza war, an allegation Israel and the U.S. government strongly reject. About two in 10 disagreed, while roughly half said they lacked enough information to judge.
The survey also showed changing Republican attitudes. Sixty percent said U.S. support for Israel is “about right,” while the share believing Washington is “not supportive enough” fell sharply from 39% in 2024 to 15%.
Meanwhile, a YouGov/The Economist poll found 49% of Americans believe the U.S. should arrest Netanyahu in line with an International Criminal Court warrant, while 27% opposed such action and 23% remained undecided.
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