Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Donald Trump on Friday at his Mar-a-Lago Florida home where the former president warned him that there could be World War 3 if he isn't reelected.
Trump briefly permitted reporters to enter the meeting. When asked about the potential nature of a working relationship with Israel in a second Trump administration, he hinted that the current U.S. leadership might result in a "third world war," according to the New York Times.
"We'll see how it goes," Trump said during the meeting. "If we win, it will be very simple. It's all going to work out and very quickly. If we don't we're all going to end up with major wars in the Middle East and maybe a third world war. You are closer to a third world war right now than at any time during the second world war. You've never been so close because you have incompetent people running our country," as reported by CBS News.
Prior to the meeting, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, were greeted at the door by Trump upon their arrival.
"Come on in, nice to see you," Trump said as they posed for photographs.
בפגישה עם נשיא ארה״ב לשעבר, דונלד טראמפ 🇺🇸🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/mfXt0vfiPp
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) July 26, 2024
Netanyahu, who posted video and photos of the meeting on social media, presented the former president with a framed photo of a child that is being held captive in Gaza, the Associated Press reported.
The prime minister told Trump that the child's grandfather wanted Trump to have it.
"We'll get that taken care of," Trump replied, with both of them posing with the photo.
Netanyahu traveled to Florida just days after he addressed Congress and described Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza as a "clash between barbarism and civilization."
He urged the legislators to continue to support Israel in the speech that was marred by protesters on Capitol Hill burning American flags and writing pro-Hamas graffiti.
"For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together. Because when we stand together, something very simple happens: We win, they lose," he said.
During his speech, Netanyahu also praised President Joe Biden for his support.
"I thank President Biden for his heart-felt support for Israel. After the savage attack on Oct. 7, he rightly called Hamas 'sheer evil.' He dispatched two aircraft carriers to the Middle East to deter a wider war, and he came to Israel to stand with us during our darkest hour, a visit that will never be forgotten," Netanyahu said.
While in Washington, D.C., Netanyahu met with Biden in the Oval Office.
He also huddled with Vice President Kamala Harris, who is expected to become the Democratic presidential nominee now that Biden has ended his campaign.
