By Tania Curado Koenig – Washington, D.C. | Special to WilliamKoenig.com
Washington, D.C. – July 7, 2025
Unusual Delay Before Departure
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s departure aboard the Wing of Zion on Sunday, July 6, was delayed by several hours. The Prime Minister’s Office officially cited 'security consultation' as the reason. However, Israeli media reported additional contributing factors, including internal coalition tensions—especially related to ultra-Orthodox demands over military conscription legislation. Sources close to the government confirmed that last-minute political negotiations may have delayed the final decision to leave.
This was not the first time the Wing of Zion faced operational challenges. Past U.S.-bound trips required adjustments to flight path and loading due to airspace sensitivities and weight limits. Routing may also have avoided jurisdictions associated with international legal risk.
The result: Netanyahu’s flight did not depart on schedule, and the delay reinforced what many observers already understood—that this visit is anything but routine.
Netanyahu landed in Washington, D.C. at 12:45 p.m. local time on Sunday, July 6—approximately eight hours later than originally scheduled.
At 6:30 p.m. on Monday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be greeted by U.S. President Donald J. Trump at the South Portico of the White House. Five minutes later, the two leaders are expected to sit down for a private dinner in the Blue Room—closed to all press, staff, and official media coverage.
There will be no statements. No photographs. No joint address.
The meeting is highly unusual in format and tone. For a visit of such diplomatic weight, and with Netanyahu making a highly compressed visit to Washington, the discretion suggests more than symbolism. It suggests final alignment.
What Is on the Table
It won’t just be silverware and steak tonight. This dinner—formal, quiet, and off the record—is expected to serve a full menu of geopolitical courses. No appetizers here. What’s on the table is layered, delicate, and potentially historic. And yes, everyone brought a watch—because everyone’s watching.
1. A 60-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, coordinated by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar.
2. A phased hostage-for-prisoner exchange, including the return of Israeli hostages and the remains of victims.
3. Post-conflict governance arrangements for Gaza, excluding Hamas and backed by Gulf and Egyptian cooperation.
4. A broad expansion of the Abraham Accords, focused on drawing Saudi Arabia into the framework through phased normalization measures.
5. Security guarantees and defense alignment involving Gulf partners and U.S. oversight.
6. Potential sovereignty discussions over parts of Judea and Samaria—though not confirmed as a formal agenda item.
What is especially significant is the renewed push to expand the Abraham Accords—not as a diplomatic footnote, but as the operational blueprint for regional restructuring. According to officials familiar with the negotiations, the White House is weighing a modular normalization model that allows Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, and potentially Indonesia to enter in stages, tied to Gaza stabilization and future defense compacts.
While previous phases of the Abraham Accords focused on bilateral treaties, this next phase may involve layered agreements: economic corridors, airspace access, Red Sea security, and joint port infrastructure. Washington and Jerusalem are seeking to move the Abraham Accords from symbolic diplomacy into functional alignment.
The presence of U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee adds another layer. Huckabee flew with Prime Minister Netanyahu aboard the Wing of Zion from Tel Aviv to Washington on Sunday, July 6. This is not routine protocol. No formal statement was issued by the White House regarding Huckabee’s inclusion, and no U.S. spokesperson has commented publicly.
The fact that an American ambassador traveled with a foreign head of government to a closed-door dinner with the U.S. President is, by all diplomatic standards, extraordinary. It signals not ceremonial support, but strategic participation.
Huckabee’s inclusion in the Israeli delegation may indicate a quiet consensus on the spiritual and political stakes of the Accords' expansion. His longstanding advocacy for Israel and vocal support for Judea and Samaria are well documented.
Final Note
The dinner is expected to last under two hours. But what is being discussed may determine the trajectory of the region for years to come. Gaza’s future, Saudi recognition, Red Sea military corridors, and sovereignty in the biblical heartland are all potentially linked to what is on the table.
And what will be decided in the Blue Room—was first decided in heaven. Because the Church is praying.