By Jake Braunstein
AIPAC Policy Communications Director
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, Feb. 4, and signed several pro-Israel executive orders.
The first executive order ends the United States’ engagement with the United Nations Human Rights Council, notorious for its extreme anti-Israel bias.
The second prohibits U.S. funding for UNRWA, the U.N. agency whose employees participated in the October 7 attacks.
Lastly, he ordered the re-imposition of “maximum pressure” on Iran. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he said, while warning that “they’re pretty close.”
Read AIPAC’s statements on these orders here and here.
In their joint press conference prior to their meeting, President Trump said, “It was a horrible day, October 7th… a lot of people like to pretend it didn’t happen. It happened.”
This is Trump’s first meeting with a foreign leader since taking office for his second term.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added, “I support getting all the hostages out and meeting all our war goals. That includes destroying Hamas’ military and governing capabilities and making sure that Gaza never poses a threat to Israel again… I think the president can help enormously.”
*
Jake Braunstein is a communications specialist for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).