Why Did Netanyahu Gift Golden Pager To Donald Trump At Washington Meeting?

Washington: Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel gifted US President Donald Trump a golden pager and a regular pager on Tuesday during their meeting at the White House, according to a report.

The gift, including the regular beeper, referenced Israel's deadly pager attack in September, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Trump thanked Netanyahu for the unique gift and calling the pager attack as "a great operation."

Trump gave Netanyahu a photo of two of them with the dedication "To Bibi, a great leader" as a return gesture.

Israeli Prime Minister in US

Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington on Tuesday to meet Trump and senior officials to discuss the Gaza ceasefire and his Middle East plans.

US President Donald Trump proposed that the US take control of Gaza and redevelop it, suggesting Palestinians relocate. Israeli PM Netanyahu supported the plan during a joint press conference at the White House.

Netanyahu called Trump’s plan a potential turning point. “It’s worth paying attention to this,” he said. “This is something that could change history.”  

Pager Attack in Lebanon

In September 2024, thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon exploded, resulting in numerous casualties. The blasts occurred just a day before hundreds of walkie-talkies also exploded, causing further deaths and injuries.

Around two months later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that he ‘okayed’ the pager operation in Lebanon. It was revealed that Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency had planted explosives inside pagers ordered by Hezbollah months before the explosions on September 17 and 18. The attack killed at least 39 Hezbollah members and injured nearly 3,000 others.

Since the war in Gaza broke out following Hamas’s attack on Israeli towns in October, Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in combat along the Lebanese border. In the ensuing conflict, several Hezbollah fighters, including the former leader of the Iran-backed group, Hassan Nasrallah, have been killed.

(with agency inputs)