Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greeted Secretary of State Marco Rubio by touting the strength of relations with the US, days after his military’s strike against Hamas officials in Qatar drew a rebuke from President Donald Trump.
“This visit here is a testament to the durability and extent of the Israeli-American alliance,” Netanyahu said in Jerusalem, speaking alongside Rubio minutes after the top US diplomat visited and prayed at the sacred Western Wall. Under Trump and Rubio, “this alliance has never been stronger,” Netanyahu added.
Rubio, who landed in Jerusalem on Sunday morning, remained silent during the prime minister’s brief remarks to reporters. Before leaving Washington on Saturday, Rubio said he planned to discuss with Netanyahu Israel’s strike and its impact on Trump’s goal of ending the war and bringing the hostages home.
“Our relationship with Israel is going to remain strong,” Rubio said before boarding the plane. The strike “isn’t going to change the nature of our relationship with the Israelis, but we are going to have to talk about it,” including “what impact does this have moving forward?”
Rubio said that Qatar has been “good partners on a number of fronts,” such as hosting talks between the Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels.
On the other hand, Qatar has long hosted Hamas political leaders and at times has provided funding for the Islamist group, which has governed in Gaza for almost two decades.
The top US diplomat said he plans to reiterate the Trump administration’s support for defeating Hamas and bringing home the 48 hostages held by the group in the Gaza Strip, about 20 of whom are believed to remain alive.
Last week’s strike by Israel targeted senior leadership of Hamas in Doha, the capital of Qatar, an Arab nation which has mediated between Israel and Hamas. Trump said the US wasn’t informed about the strike until just before it took place, and that he was “very unhappy” about the way it was carried out.
The strike has created one of the most fraught moments for the US-Israeli relationship since the Hamas attack against Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw about 250 taken hostage on Oct. 7, 2023.
A major non-NATO ally, Qatar hosts the largest US military base in the Middle East. It was key to the defense of Al Udeid Air Base from an Iranian strike in June. Trump visited Qatar in May during a regional tour.
Qatar offered the US president a $400 million Boeing jet to be refurbished as the new Air Force One, and pledged $500 billion of investments in the US through the Qatar Investment Authority.
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Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, US relations, Hamas strike, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Qatar
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