Visiting Trump Again

by Benjamin Netanyahu

I love visiting President Donald Trump more than anyone in the world. He’s not only a wonderful man, he’s a strategic genius and peacemaker extraordinaire. Israelis and Americans, the closest of allies, are always excited when we meet at the summit, determined to save the world. I’ve already been to the United States six times in little more than a year of the president’s second term and feel like the White House is almost a second home. I didn’t address a joint session of Congress during this visit, but I’ve done so four times, and no one else has done that, not even my favorite wartime hero, Winston Churchil, who three times addressed this august legislative body.

In private, the president and I exchanged comradely greetings, and, after sitting to rest our aging legs, I said, “I again commend you for sending a mighty armada within striking distance of Iran, and I urge you to strike our enemies as soon as you’ve deployed the necessary firepower and military personnel.”

“As I’ve mentioned, Bibi, I’m going to give the Iranians one more chance to negotiate.”

“They’re not interested in negotiating,” I said. “They’re stalling. They’re rebuilding their nuclear program and improving their ballistic missiles and waiting for the opportunity to resume pouring arms into hands of terrorists like Hamas and Hezbollah. They haven’t changed. They must be compelled not only to forever abandon their nuclear aspirations but to destroy all missiles that can reach Israel. They must be forced to stop inciting violence in the Middle East.”

“The Iranians swear they don’t want or need nuclear weapons,” the president said. “I’ve got to listen to them.”

Shaking my head and leaning toward him, I said, “Their promises are lies, always lies.”

“They say they only want peaceful levels of nuclear enrichment.”

“The Iranians already went beyond that, to a level that would’ve enabled them to rapidly build a nuclear weapon, perhaps in less than a year. That’s why you struck them.”

“Don’t worry, Bibi, I’ll strike again if they try to go nuclear.”

“You must crush them if they won’t dismantle all nuclear facilities and every ballistic missile that could hit Israeli cities.”

The president, who looks weary and wrinkled, slowly said, “Don’t do anything to disrupt these negotiations or my Nobel chances like you did last year, Bibi. Keep quiet and be ready. I’ll let you know when I make my decision.”

“You also attacked them last year, Mr. President, and quite masterfully when you demolished the Fordow and Natanz nuclear facilities. No one can negotiate with a regime that just murdered tens of thousands of freedom-seeking protesters in the streets of Iranian cities.”

I eased back in my chair and braced for President Trump’s response. I worried he might ask how the Iranians could negotiate with someone like Israel that had just slaughtered eighty thousand Gazans, most of them women and children. I waited and soon felt better when he stood and offered me his hand. How could President Trump rebuke me for killing Gazans as punishment for their murderous attack of October seventh, 2023? After all, the biggest and best bombs were supplied by America.

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