A diminished Bibi arrives for his moment with Trump

Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with Donald Trump in the Oval Office Tuesday for the eighth time since the president returned to office. But the Israeli prime minister arrives at the White House weaker and less influential than the previous seven times.Why it matters: On Feb. 28, Trump and Netanyahu went to war together and it looked like there was no daylight between them. But exactly five months later, their interests have diverged more than ever — and bad blood and frustration have deepened as they've grown suspicious of each other's intentions.Driving the news: Netanyahu's visit comes several days after Trump paused U.S. strikes in Iran and announced his envoys are trying — again — to negotiate a deal with the Iranian regime.Last Friday, Netanyahu found himself holding marathon talks with his cabinet about the war — while largely in the dark about Trump's thinking and plans. The lack of coordination led Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to prepare for the most extreme scenario: a return to major combat operations by the U.S. Only late Friday night did Israel learn that Trump had decided to hold fire. Trump told Axios he is still considering resuming a large-scale military campaign if negotiations fail. Such a move would likely include a joint military campaign with Israel similar to Operation Epic Fury at the outset of the war. The meeting with Netanyahu could be significant as Trump weighs his next steps, including possible coordination between the two countries. But the Israeli prime minister is very aware of the narrative that he pulled Trump into the war. Even if it's too late to dispel it, he doesn't want to be seen as doing it again.Behind the scenes: In the first few months of the war, Trump and Netanyahu spoke almost every day to coordinate and exchange views. But in recent weeks, their phone calls have become more and more infrequent. Netanyahu started leaning more on Secretary of State Marco Rubio for updates on Trump's thinking, sources say. Netanyahu even struggled to get on Trump's schedule for Tuesday's sit-down. He wanted to come to the White House last week but couldn't get an appointment. Zoom in: Since the April 8 ceasefire, Netanyahu's influence over Trump's war policies and decision-making has been gradually diminishing. Trump signed the memorandum of understanding with Iran in mid-June despite Netanyahu's skepticism. The Israeli prime minister tried but failed to convince Trump to keep fighting in order to further degrade the regime's military capabilities, U.S. and Israeli officials said.When the agreement was signed, Netanyahu didn't come out against it publicly, hoping it would collapse on its own. It did several weeks later.On Monday, Trump acknowledged some distance between Netanyahu and him on Iran. "We have a little difference, but pretty close," Trump told reporters on Air Force One when he was asked if he is on the same page with Netanyahu regarding the war. Case in point: Two weeks ago, Netanyahu was un