Israel Commits to Removing Trade Deficit and Trade Barriers with U.S.​

• Netanyahu pledged to eliminate all trade barriers between Israel and the U.S. during his White House visit.
• He echoed Trump’s view that free trade must also be fair, supporting the tariff-driven approach.
• Talks also touched on Gaza hostages and Iran, with Trump revealing near high-level discussions with Tehran.

In a meeting that was more than just handshakes and photo ops, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat down with President Donald Trump at the White House and made a bold economic pledge: no more trade barriers between the U.S. and Israel.

“We’re gonna get rid of the trade deficit with the United States,” Netanyahu said during the joint appearance, nodding firmly as he spoke. “We’re also going to remove all trade barriers—completely.”

Netanyahu added that Israel hopes to set an example for other nations, suggesting it could become something of a blueprint for what “fair trade” looks like in Trump’s emerging tariff-driven world.

“I’m a big supporter of free trade,” he added, “but free trade’s gotta be fair trade too, right?”

A Shared Take on Tariffs

Netanyahu expressed sympathy for Trump’s aggressive stance on tariffs, saying he understands where the U.S. president is coming from. Though he stopped short of endorsing Trump’s tariff blitz outright, he aligned with the idea that free markets don’t work if one side’s taking all the hits.

“There’s gotta be balance. If it’s one-sided, then it’s not really free, is it?”

More Than Just Trade on the Agenda

The two leaders didn’t just talk economics. Netanyahu also brought up a new hostage deal involving Gaza, while Trump praised his efforts and said that for Israelis, getting hostages back was “more important than anything.”

They touched on Iran too. Netanyahu said if a full diplomatic solution could stop Iran from developing nukes, “that would be a good thing.” Trump, for his part, revealed that the U.S. is holding “almost high-level” direct talks with Iran regarding its nuclear program.