A Vow to “Finish the Job”: Netanyahu’s Defiant Stance Ahead of U.S. Summit

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading to his White House summit with President Donald Trump with a defiant public stance, having recently vowed at the United Nations to “finish the job” against Hamas. This uncompromising position on the Gaza war sets up a potential clash with the U.S. president’s push for a diplomatic settlement.
Netanyahu’s speech at the UN General Assembly was a clear and forceful declaration of his government’s primary objective: the complete military defeat of the militant group that has ruled Gaza. His words were intended to reassure his domestic supporters and signal to the world that Israel would not stop its offensive prematurely.
This stance is rooted in Israel’s security doctrine and the trauma of the October 2023 Hamas attack. For Netanyahu, any deal that leaves Hamas with a residual capacity to threaten Israel is unacceptable. He has therefore shown deep reluctance to embrace the U.S.-led peace plan, which calls for a ceasefire.
This puts him on a direct collision course with President Trump, who has invested significant political capital in the 21-point peace deal. Trump, backed by Arab leaders, is seeking a negotiated end to the conflict, and he expects his Israeli ally to engage with the process in good faith.
The Monday meeting will force a reckoning between Netanyahu’s vow and Trump’s diplomatic push. The Israeli leader will have to decide whether he can maintain his defiant stance in a private meeting with his most powerful ally, or if the pressure to compromise will be too great to resist.