Former President Donald Trump greeted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a warm greeting Friday afternoon at Mar-a-Lago, giving his wife a kiss and embracing the Jewish leader, before showing him where he was shot in the ear weeks ago.
Trump, 78, opened his arms to embrace the Netanyahus, saying “come on in, nice to see you.”
The GOP nominee then kissed Sara Netanyahu on both cheeks and pulled in the prime minister for a firm handshake.
“The greatest dinner I ever had,” Trump said to the Jewish leader.
Inside Mar-a-Lago, the former president then showed Netanyahu the bullet wound in his ear where he was shot by a gunman in Butler, Pa., on June 13. Trump survived the assassination attempt and wore a bandage to cover his ear after the shooting.
Trump and Netanyahu had a close relationship during the former president’s term in the White House. Their relationship hit some snags after the prime minister congratulated President Biden with winning the 2020 election, which prompted Trump to say “I haven’t spoken to him since” and “f–k him” at the time.
But the relationship has since been thawing.
Netanyahu specifically touted Trump’s support of Israel during his Congressional speech on Tuesday.
“I want to thank President Trump for his leadership in brokering the historic Abraham Accords. Like Americans, Israelis were relieved that President Trump emerged safe and sound from that dastardly attack on him, dastardly attack on American democracy. There is no room for political violence in democracies,” the Israeli leader said.
The Trump meeting comes on the heels of Netanyahu coming to Washington on Monday and not being met by President Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris.
Neither Harris or Biden attended his Congressional speech on Tuesday, which was marred with protests outside the Capitol building by Union Station, where anti-Israel supporters were burning American flags and announcing their support for Hamas.
Both Biden and Harris, who is now the presumptive Democratic nominee, met with Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday.
Biden, 81, expressed his desire for Israel to reach a deal with Hamas to release hostages and reach a ceasefire “as soon as possible.”
The president did not offer any flattering remarks to Netanyahu before their meeting.
“Welcome back, Mr. Prime Minister, we got a lot to talk about, I think we should get to it — the floor is yours,” Biden said, shaking his hand.
Harris, after skipping the Congressional speech to attend an event with her sorority, slammed the Jewish State leader for Israel’s approach to the Gaza Strip, saying she will not “remain silent” on the number of civilian casualties — while pledging “unwavering” support for Israel.
“What has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating — the images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third or fourth time,” she said after her first meeting with the Israeli leader since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee.
“We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies. We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering and I will not be silent.”