Trump invites Benjamin Netanyahu to be first foreign leader to visit White House
Trump's letter to Benjamin Netanyahu says US president wants to discuss 'efforts to counter common adversaries'
Donald Trump has invited Benjamin Netanyahu to be the first foreign leader to visit the White House, in a major concession to a US ally wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.
The invitation was made in a letter from the US president, who invited the Israeli prime minister to the White House on February 4 to "discuss how we can bring peace to Israel and its neighbors and efforts to counter our common adversaries".
"I would be honored to host you as the first foreign leader in my second term," the letter said.
Trump said he was "not sure" the Gaza ceasefire would hold. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel and Hamas are expected to soon begin negotiations for a long-term peace, which many fear will fail and lead to a return to bloodshed after more than 15 months of fighting. Trump's Climate and Energy Strategies Could Fail in Ways He Didn't Anticipate
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Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu have a difficult personal relationship, but Israel remains the United States' closest ally in the region. Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump's Middle East envoy, had a tense conversation with Mr. Netanyahu in the days leading up to negotiations for a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, the day before Mr. Trump's inauguration.
Since then, Mr. Trump has lifted a ban on supplying Israel with the bombs that had been withheld by the Biden administration in opposition to Israel's massive use of force against Gaza.
Mr. Trump suggested late last week that the Gaza Strip could be "cleansed" and that more than 1.5 million people would be sent to other Arab countries, in reckless comments that appeared to reflect plans for the ethnic cleansing of the region. Mr. Netanyahu has been accused by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of being responsible for targeting the civilian population and using "starvation as a method of warfare" during the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, which followed the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. killed about 1,200 Israelis and saw hundreds more taken hostage. More than 120 ICC member states are expected to arrest Mr. Netanyahu if he enters their territory, including most European countries. The United States is not a party to the deal, and Republicans have introduced a bill to sanction the ICC over arrest warrants for Mr. Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Democrats blocked the bill on Tuesday.
[From Gaza to Iran, Trump Takes Steps to Rebuild the Middle East Opens in a New Window]
This comes after the Trump administration said on Tuesday it would offer financial incentives for two million full-time federal civilian employees to resign as part of plans to drastically reduce the size of the US government.
The "deferred leave program" will allow federal employees to remain on the payroll until Sept. 30, but without having to work in person and potentially having their duties reduced or eliminated in the meantime, according to an email sent to federal employees seen by Reuters.
The email gives federal employees until Feb. 6 to decide whether to participate. Interested employees were asked to reply to the email from a government account and write the word "resign."
The offer applies to civilian employees, except those in immigration and national security positions and individuals who work for the U.S. Postal Service.
The unprecedented move comes as Mr. Trump has used his first days in office to downsize, purge and restructure the U.S. federal government to align it with his policy priorities.
There are about 2.3 million civilian employees in the United States, not including the Postal Service. Security-related agencies make up the bulk of the federal workforce, but hundreds of thousands work across the country in jobs overseeing veterans' health care, inspecting agriculture and paying government bills, among other jobs. The email said the administration expected to see a "more efficient and flexible workforce."
While the military and some agencies are likely to increase their staff sizes, most agencies are likely to be downsized through restructuring and layoffs, the email said, warning that federal employees cannot be assured of keeping their jobs.
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The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents about 150,000 federal workers, warned its members that "the email is designed to encourage or intimidate you to resign" and said "we strongly urge you not to resign in response."
Mr. Trump also signed an executive order that would facilitate the layoffs of thousands of federal employees by reclassifying their employment status. "Amid the wave of executive orders and anti-worker policies, it's clear that the Trump administration's goal is to turn the federal government into a toxic environment where workers can't stay even if they want to," said Everett, president of the American Federation of Government Employees. Kelley said in a statement, urging federal employees not to make hasty decisions.
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