The surprise death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has opened the door for someone new to whisper in President Donald Trump's ear and possibly alter the arc of the war with Iran.
Benjamin Netanyahu is seizing the moment, according to a report from Politico. The Israeli Prime Minister, long frustrated by increasingly limited White House access, has finally secured an invitation following Graham's funeral — a visit months in the making.
Netanyahu has been "angling" for an Oval Office since at least April, according to sources familiar with the diplomatic maneuvering. Graham's death provided the opening Netanyahu needed.
"At first there was no meeting. They arranged it in the last couple of days," one insider told Politico, confirming that Netanyahu capitalized on the funeral to finalize arrangements that stalled for months.
As Politico notes, Trump and Netanyahu haven't met "face-to-face" since February, just before the Iran war commenced — a conflict Netanyahu personally lobbied Trump to launch. Nearly five months have elapsed since that encounter.
Netanyahu faces a precarious political position. He championed the Iranian military campaign, but the war has dragged far beyond initial projections. Trump predicted a four-to-five-week conflict, but the fighting continues with no resolution in sight.
The White House visit allows Netanyahu to discuss escalation strategies with Trump, with Politico reporting, "Trump’s own staff are growing frustrated by the long odds of ending the fighting, and Trump has had harsh words for Netanyahu as the war has dragged on."
"Bibi takes a risk coming to the White House. He might get pressed by President Trump with an ask, rather than the other way around," warned Elisa Ewers, a former senior Middle East official now at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Netanyahu will likely face demands that Israel accept American policies it has previously resisted — positions on Lebanon, Gaza, and other regional matters where Washington and Jerusalem have diverged, she told Politico.
"The White House visit in itself is his get," Ewers noted, suggesting the mere invitation represents a victory for Netanyahu after months of diplomatic cold-shoulder treatment.
