The meeting between the two leaders was meant to showcase their enduring alliance — Mr. Netanyahu hailed Mr. Trump as the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the Oval Office — but it was disrupted, not only by the violence in Israel but also by their own changing political and legal fortunes. Mr. Trump was fresh off news that a lengthy investigation of his presidential campaign’s possible ties to Russia’s 2016 election interference did not find evidence of a conspiracy, while Mr. Netanyahu still faces indictment in Israel on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The president did not mention the Russia investigation during the signing ceremony, though in a later photo session with Mr. Netanyahu in the Oval Office, he accused his opponents of being “treasonous” in pushing the narrative of collusion with Russia. At the signing ceremony, Mr. Trump listed all the steps he had taken to benefit Israel, including pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal and moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. After thanking the American ambassador to Israel, David M. Friedman, Mr. Trump asked him whether he was enjoying the relocated embassy.

Source: New York Times March 25, 2019 12:33 UTC