Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to travel to Washington on Monday, 28 July 2025, for a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the latter's invitation. The visit comes at a critical juncture, with Iran and the future of the International Criminal Court (ICC) topping the bilateral agenda.

What Netanyahu Said Before Departing

Speaking at a government meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu confirmed the trip and outlined its scope. 'Tomorrow I will fly to Washington to meet, at his invitation, with President Trump, and afterwards to participate in the memorial service for a great friend of Israel, the late Senator Lindsey Graham,' he said. He described Graham as 'one of Israel's greatest friends since its inception' and added that he would 'discuss all pending issues with President Trump, including the situation in Iran.'

Netanyahu Targets ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan

Netanyahu also used the occasion to sharply criticise ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, who was recently deposed following sexual harassment allegations made by several women who had worked under him. Netanyahu alleged that Khan had pursued arrest warrants against him and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as a diversionary tactic. 'He did this to divert attention, to rally all of Israel's haters around him, naturally, to give himself a protective shield,' Netanyahu said. He further argued that Khan's removal had 'exposed his true motivation: the injustice and the deep corruption that exists not only in the Prosecutor's office, but in the International Criminal Court as a whole.'

Rubio Reaffirms US Stance Against the ICC

Netanyahu also disclosed that he had spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday night. According to Netanyahu, Rubio 'reiterated the US intention to act firmly against this organisation,' referring to the ICC, which Netanyahu characterised as one that 'endangers justice in the world' and 'attempts to subjugate' sovereign democracies 'to the decisions of a corrupt bureaucracy in The Hague.' Netanyahu called the US position 'a very positive development' and said it was 'important that we echo this around the world.'

Context and What to Watch

The Washington visit marks Netanyahu's latest in a series of high-level engagements with the Trump administration since the latter returned to office. The Iran discussion is expected to centre on nuclear programme developments and regional security, areas where Israel and the US have maintained close but at times divergent positions. The ICC's pursuit of arrest warrants against Netanyahu — related to the conflict in Gaza — has drawn fierce pushback from both Jerusalem and Washington, and Monday's meeting is likely to produce a coordinated response on that front. The memorial for Senator Lindsey Graham, a long-standing advocate for the US-Israel alliance, adds a symbolic dimension to the trip.