US President: Netanyahu "knows who the leader is"

Washington – Agencies: U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed to Axios that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may visit the White House next week, emphasizing that Netanyahu “knows who the leader is” in their relationship. This comes amid reports of tension between the two men over efforts to end the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in late February. In a brief phone interview with Axios, Trump said, “Our relationship is very good. (Netanyahu) knows who the leader is,” a reference to himself. However, an Israeli official told the U.S. website that the visit might not take place next week because Trump will travel to Turkey to participate in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit on July 7 and 8. The official added, “The visit may take place the following week.” Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced yesterday that “reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will not take place without dismantling its military infrastructure and disarming it, and the residents of the Strip will have the freedom to choose to leave or stay without threatening us.” He stated that “Gaza residents have the freedom to choose between staying or leaving without posing a threat,” noting that “the threat from Gaza has been eliminated.” The Israeli prime minister explained that this was achieved through the establishment of a “new Gaza perimeter within Gaza,” referring to the buffer zone created by the Israeli military inside the Strip. He also added that the removal of the threat from Gaza has led to increased demand for housing in settlements surrounding Gaza, amid what he described as an improvement in the security situation in the area.