WASHINGTON

A collection of rights groups on Tuesday denounced President Donald Trump's meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, urging him to reject the prime minister’s influence and put American interests first.

Advocates, including officials from the US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), Code Pink, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action), warned that Trump's support for Netanyahu undermines peace efforts and humanitarian aid.

During a news conference at Lafayette Park near the White House, the advocacy officials demanded accountability rather than celebration of the Israeli leader, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.

Trump is set to host Netanyahu at the White House to discuss the war in the Gaza Strip, hostages in the hands of Hamas and Iran and Lebanon, among other items on the agenda. The leaders will hold a news conference after the meeting.

US rights groups denounce President Donald Trump’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, urging him to prioritize American interests over Netanyahu’s influence https://t.co/mQaUS8f8U4 pic.twitter.com/zYRJUI96qR

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) February 4, 2025

America’s interests must come first

"President Trump has made a commitment to making America great again. It is imperative that he prioritize American interests, and does not allow himself to be dictated by an Israeli prime minister," said USCMO's Secretary General Oussama Jammal.

"It is unacceptable for the President of the United States to be disrespected and misled on the global stage, repeating false narratives propagated by Netanyahu. The American people are looking to President Trump to realize a vision for peace, not only in the Middle East but worldwide," he said.  

Netanyahu wants more US money, weapons

Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink (Women for Peace), said Netanyahu wants more money from US taxpayers and more weapons from the US.

"He wants to not carry out the ceasefire (in Gaza). He does not want phase two and phase three of the ceasefire because he does not want to remove the Israeli military from Gaza. He wants to drag the US into a war with Iran, something he has been trying to do for many, many years," she said at the news conference.

Benjamin stressed that Trump has an opportunity to bring peace to the Middle East.

"Will he go the road of the warmongers, or will he listen to the voice of the people in the United States that have said for months now?" she added.

Nihad Awad, the executive director and co-founder of CAIR, called it a "sad day" for hosting the Israeli prime minister.

"President Trump is making it difficult for him to obtain the title that he would like to have: A president of peace. President Trump, by hosting this war criminal today, is telling the world that you can have immunity, you can kill, maim and destroy if you have the support of the United States," said Awad. "And we hope that President Trump will not be dragged and fooled by this war criminal, Benjamin Netanyahu to launch a war on Iran and destabilize the region further".

"President Trump has a golden opportunity to put an end to the suffering of the people in the region and hold Israeli leaders accountable," he added.  

'Netanyahu should be held accountable, not celebrated'

Osama Abu Irshaid, the executive director of AJP Action and American Muslims for Palestine, said that Netanyahu is in Washington not to seek peace, but rather to perpetuate genocide in Gaza and to continue war crimes in the West Bank.

"He further aspires to ignite a regional war in the broader Middle East," said Irshaid, who called Netanyahu "a wanted war criminal."

"So, we're talking about a man with such a horrendous record, such a man who's wanted by the ICC should not be celebrated here in Washington, DC. Rather, he should be held accountable. He should be arrested and sent to the Hague. But unfortunately, what we see now is that he's being celebrated," he said.

"But unfortunately, what we see is that he's being rewarded," Irshaid added.​​​​​​​