Israel’s Netanyahu among partygoers at Trump’s New Year’s Eve fete

US President Donald Trump during the New Year’s Eve Party at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida – Copyright AFP TERCIO TEIXEIRA

US President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a glittering New Year’s Eve party at his lavish Mar-a-Lago resort on Wednesday, according to social media.

Netanyahu, who arrived at the US president’s Palm Beach residence on Monday, was spotted alongside tuxedo-clad Trump Wednesday night in a social media post from conservative influencer Michael Solakiewicz.

Trump had joked that the Israeli leader could attend the party during meetings Monday to discuss the fragile Gaza ceasefire and other regional geopolitical concerns in the Middle East.

The party guest list included Trump’s ardent supporters Rudy Giuliani and Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani, along with his sons Eric and Don Jr., and top members of his administration, including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino.

The Gaza ceasefire in October is one of the major achievements of Trump’s first year back in power, but some White House officials fear Netanyahu is slow-walking the process.

This week, Trump downplayed reports of tensions with Netanyahu over the second stage of the ceasefire, saying that Israel had “lived up” to its commitments and that the onus was on Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Siding with the Israeli premier, Trump said he was “not concerned about anything that Israel’s doing.”

This week’s talks mark the fifth such meeting in the United States since Trump’s return to power this year.