Uncertainty surrounds Netanyahu’s first meeting with Trump

ters with former President Barack Obama, the Israeli leader will still need to tread with caution on sensitive issues such as Israeli settlement construction and the conflict with the Palestinians, Iran and the war in Syria.

“It is a very important meeting. It is a new president,” said Sallai Meridor, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington. The “positive thing” is that Trump’s policies are still not set, he said, “so there is an opportunity to listen and to develop and to impact the strategy that is being developed in the United States.”

In dealing with such a divisive president, Netanyahu will also face some potential pitfalls. Key constituencies, including congressional Democrats and many American Jews, oppose Trump’s policies, while at home he is under pressure from his hard-line allies to push for policies that Trump might not support.

“The alliance between Israel and America has always been extremely strong. It’s about to get even stronger. President Trump and I see eye to eye on the dangers emanating from the region but also on the opportuni- ties,” Netanyahu said Monday as he boarded a plane to Washington.

Malcolm Hoenlein, a Jewish-American leader who has close ties with both Netanyahu and White House officials, said Netanyahu should set modest goals for his first working meeting with the new president. He said the objective should be to establish a good working relationship in order to tackle concrete issues down the road.

“What I hope will come out of the meeting is this kind of understanding, putting the foundation very firmly in place,” he said.