U.S. President Donald Trump was overly confident that Türkiye and Israel, which are now worlds away from any normalization, would have “no problems” as he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida on Monday.
“Netanyahu and (President Recep Tayyip) Erdoğan are not going to have a problem,” Trump told reporters when asked about the potential conflict between Israel and Türkiye.
“I know Erdoğan very well and as you all know, he’s a good friend of mine. I believe him and I respect him. So does Netanyahu,” Trump said.
Although Türkiye was in relatively good terms with Israel prior to October 2023, it all came to a crashing halt when Israel launched its genocidal campaign targeting Gaza. Since then, Türkiye cut off ties with Tel Aviv and has championed the Palestinian cause against the Netanyahu administration’s ceaseless attacks. Still, Ankara prioritized diplomacy over military action and most recently joined Trump’s efforts to secure a cease-fire in Gaza. Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire over the past few months.
Israel also opposes the contribution of Türkiye to a future Stabilization Force for Gaza, which will be comprised of peacekeeping troops from various nations. Türkiye has voiced that it was ready to join others for the Stabilization Force and expressed readiness to contribute to the rebuilding of Gaza as well.
