Netanyahu's Iran Warning and Domestic Power Struggle: Inside His Washington Trip

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Benjamin Netanyahu has had quite an eventful week centered around his hastily arranged trip to Washington. The Israeli Prime Minister flew to the US on February 11th for critical meetings with President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with Iran dominating the agenda. According to Israeli officials and coverage from ILTV Israel News, Netanyahu presented new intelligence warning that Iran could rapidly rebuild a massive missile arsenal, insisting that any US-Iran agreement must address both nuclear and ballistic missile threats while preserving Israel's freedom to act militarily if necessary.

Netanyahu's three-hour meeting with Trump on Wednesday lasted longer than scheduled, though it was notably muted compared to past visits, with the Prime Minister using the White House's back entrance closed to press. According to Netanyahu's own statements to reporters at Joint Base Andrews before departing, Trump believes Iranians could be forced to accept a good deal, though Netanyahu made clear his skepticism. The Premier stressed that negotiations must include not only nuclear weapons but also ballistic missiles and Iranian proxies in the region. Trump posted on Truth Social that nothing definitive was reached but that discussions would continue, while also claiming progress in Gaza and peace in the Middle East.

On the domestic front, Netanyahu's office announced he would skip the Board of Peace meeting scheduled for February 19th and address the AIPAC conference virtually instead, reversing his initial plans to return to Washington. According to Times of Israel coverage, this sparked speculation that Netanyahu was avoiding the Board of Peace summit due to criticism over its internationalization of Israel's Palestinian conflict and involvement from Turkey and Qatar. However, Netanyahu did officially join the Board of Peace with his signature during a meeting with Secretary Rubio on Wednesday.

Additionally, Netanyahu has been engaged in a blame-shifting campaign regarding October 7th. According to multiple sources including Times of Israel, he reposted social media accusations from former Likud spokesman Erez Tadmor claiming that former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar falsified the intelligence agency's investigation into the Hamas attack and appointed himself de facto prime minister. Netanyahu released a fifty-five page document with selected quotations from cabinet meetings painted to show him pushing aggressive policies while rivals urged restraint, drawing fierce condemnation from his own Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who called him a liar, and opposition figures who accused him of rewriting history.

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