President-elect Donald Trump had dinner on Sunday evening with Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, at the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Trump’s deputy director of communications shared a photo of the two on X.
Sara Netanyahu is currently in Miami visiting her son Yair, who has been living in Florida for over a year. Her trip will likely keep her away from Israel during the early days of her husband’s testimony in his corruption trial.
During her meeting with Trump, Netanyahu discussed the issue of hostages being held in Gaza, taken during the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023. This attack resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the kidnapping of 251 individuals.
“During the meeting, which was warm and friendly, we discussed many topics, including the steadfast friendship between Israel and the United States and the importance of continuing to nurture the unique bond between our nations,” she wrote in an Instagram post in both English and Hebrew.
She continued, “I also brought to the President’s attention the immense suffering Israel endured on October 7th and the inhumanity of Hamas terrorists holding our citizens hostage under harsh conditions. I emphasized the urgent need to act for their release and swift return.”
“We also discussed the strategic importance of Israel’s victory in the fight against the axis of evil, for a more stable and secure future in the Middle East and around the world,” Netanyahu added, also extending her congratulations to Trump on his electoral win.
Trump has developed a close relationship with Netanyahu’s wife, often praising her in front of the prime minister.
When the Netanyahus last met Trump in July, the then-presidential candidate referred to Sara as his “secret weapon” in maintaining good relations with her husband, even though the two leaders’ relationship has experienced tensions at times.
“As long as I have Sara, that’s all that matters,” Trump joked back then.
The incoming US president has criticized Netanyahu for failing to prevent the surprise Hamas attack on southern Israel.
Their relationship became strained after Netanyahu congratulated Joe Biden on his 2020 election victory, which Trump still contests.
Sara Netanyahu has occasionally clashed with the families of hostages. In September, she reportedly angered some relatives by criticizing the “shocking demonstrations” against her husband’s government and asserting that he was “doing everything he can” to bring back their loved ones, according to Channel 12.
That same month, a leaked recording from a meeting with hostage families, aired by Channel 12, revealed Netanyahu telling a relative of a hostage taken from a music festival near Gaza on October 7 that the government had not been aware of the event and thus bore no responsibility for the massacre that occurred there.
{Matzav.com}