Benjamin Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to visit the White House during his second term, was welcomed by US President Donald Trump.
Trump repeatedly weighed in on the future of Gaza, which had been a war-torn region, and whether Palestinians should reinstall from the area. On Tuesday, the meeting was fraught with controversy.
“Gaza is a guarantee that they’re going to end up dying. The same thing is going to happen again”, Trump said. “It’s happened over and over again. And it’s going to happen again”.
“So I hope we can do something where they wouldn’t want to go back. Who would prefer to return? They’ve experienced nothing but death and destruction”.
Trump also suggested that the US wants to “take over” Gaza’s depopulated area and shape its landscape for years to come.
Trump remarked, “I do see a long-term ownership position, and I see it bringing great stability to that region of the Middle East and possibly the entire Middle East.”
“This was not a decision made lightly. Everyone I’ve spoken to adores the idea of the United States developing and creating thousands of jobs there.
A fragile ceasefire recently paused hostilities in Gaza where, for the past 15 months, Israel has led a devastating military campaign that has killed an estimated 61, 700 Palestinians.
The military campaign has been compared to a genocide by human rights advocates and experts at the UN. But the US remains a firm ally of Israel – and of Netanyahu’s government.
In remarks after his bilateral meeting with Netanyahu, Trump returned to a vision he had outlined earlier in the day, in which Palestinians would be settled “permanently” in “a beautiful area” outside of Gaza.
Concerned that Trump would support the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, and neighboring nations like Egypt and Jordan have repeatedly rejected the idea of absorbing the population of the area.
“I think Jordan and Egypt – they say they’re not going to accept, but I say they will. But I think other countries will accept also”, Trump said.
A close ally
The Middle East was in turmoil during the bilateral meeting on Tuesday.
Lebanon and Gaza’s conflict has cooled since recent ceasefires. In Syria, a new government has emerged. Additionally, Iran and Israel are in constant conflict.
Netanyahu’s arrival in the US on Sunday underscored the symbolic significance of his first foreign minister’s visit to Trump since the president’s second inauguration on January 20.
“I think it’s a testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance”, Netanyahu said in a statement.
The two nations stated that discussions would be on the table regarding the ceasefire, the future of Gaza, and efforts to restore normality between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
In the lead-up to Tuesday’s meeting, Trump also signed a series of executive orders and directives, some of which pertained to goals he shares with Netanyahu.
One announced the return of his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran. The United States dissolved UNRWA, a relief organization for Palestinian refugees, in addition.
UNRWA has been accused of involvement in the attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, but the claim has not been supported by any evidence.
The Israeli leader’s visit was greeted by protesters calling for a “free, free, free Palestine”.
Some activists criticized Netanyahu’s invitation to the White House as a “war criminal”‘s honor, which the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for in November on suspicion of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Still, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to Netanyahu at Tuesday’s news conference.
“The bonds of friendship and affection between the American and Israeli people have endured for generations, and they are absolutely unbreakable”, Trump said.
Netanyahu remarked, “You are the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House,” with personal praise.
Ceasefire in Gaza
The leaders’ most recent meeting included a crucial discussion about the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
Trump has repeatedly attributed the ceasefire agreement, which became effective on January 19th, the day before taking office. He held the former US ambassador to be responsible for starting the war in Gaza through his predecessor’s foreign policy.
“Nobody did anything for four years except in the negative”, Trump said at one point, referring to Biden’s term in office. “Unfortunately, the weakness and incompetence of those past four years]caused] the grave damage around the globe”.
Trump has doubted the viability of the ceasefire and its viability, though.
“The strikes could start tomorrow”, Trump said on Tuesday. “There’s not a lot left to strike”.
The initial 42-day truce, which will see the release of 33 Israeli captives and nearly 2, 000 Palestinian prisoners, expires on March 1.
A Hamas spokesman said on Tuesday that negotiations have already begun for a second phase of the ceasefire. If consented to, that phase would result in the total withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of all prisoners.
But Trump lashed out at the group in his remarks, praising Israel’s efforts to cut off resources to Gaza.
“We starved Hamas and Iran’s other terrorist proxies, and we starved them like they had never seen before. Resources and support disappeared for them”, Trump said.
US to ‘ take over ‘ Gaza?
Despite human rights organizations’ warnings that it would amount to ethnic cleansing, the president also reiterated his call for a widespread displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.
“ It’s been an unlucky place for a long time”, Trump said of Gaza. ” And it shouldn’t go through the same process of occupation and reconstruction as the same people who actually fought for it, lived there, died there, and lived a miserable life there.
He added that Palestinians would “love to leave” if given an alternative.
“They should get a good, fresh, beautiful piece of land, and we]can] get some people to put up the money to build it and make it nice and make it habitable and enjoyable”, Trump explained.
He avoided using US resources in any such construction project, citing “neighboring countries of great wealth” as a source of funding for Palestinians’ new homes.
He did, however, propose that the US would assert a presence in Gaza in the future.
“We will do a job with the Gaza Strip, and the US will take control of it.” We will be in charge of destroying all of the site’s dangerous, unexploded bombs and other weapons. Level the site”, Trump said.
“Level it out and bring about economic development that will provide the area’s residents with an endless supply of jobs and housing.”
Earlier in the day, he had said he would not necessarily support Israel taking Gaza itself:  , “Not necessarily, no. Simply put, I’m in favor of doing something with it and cleaning it up.
The US has provided billions of military aid to Israel and supported the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
Iran: a harsh stance
Another pillar of Tuesday’s meeting was how to approach Iran, which Netanyahu has portrayed as Israel’s greatest threat.
Netanyahu chuckled as he recalled how Trump, in his first term, voted to leave the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a deal that would have allowed Iran to reduce its nuclear program in favor of loosened sanctions.
Iran’s nuclear program has grown in the years that have followed, increasing it.
You renounced your support for the disastrous nuclear agreement with Iran. We discussed it, I recall. You said, ‘ This is the worst deal I’ve ever seen, ‘” Netanyahu said. ” It speaks loudly, in my opinion, to the common sense.
Trump’s return to the “maximum pressure” strategy he used in his first term was played up by him on stage.
He declared, “We will once more impose the most harsh sanctions possible, reduce Iranian oil exports to zero, and reduce the regime’s ability to finance terrorism throughout the region and the world,” he added.
According to US officials, regional violence that has erupted over the past year has “weakened” Iran and its allies, including Hezbollah and Hamas.
After Israel bombarded southern Lebanon, Hezbollah received significant blows. Top military and political figures have been replaced by Hamas. Additionally, Bashar al-Assad’s regime is now in dissolution.
Critics have warned, however, that Netanyahu may exploit this moment to seek US assistance in striking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Trump was urged to resist any Israeli offensive against Iran by Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which was chaired a press conference on Tuesday.
“We hope that President Trump will not be dragged and fooled by this war criminal, Benjamin Netanyahu, to launch a war on Iran and destabilise the region further”, Awad told reporters.
“President Trump has a unique opportunity to end the suffering of the region’s citizens and hold Israeli leaders accountable rather than applaud them,” he said.
Trump did leave the door open for diplomacy, saying that he is “unhappy” to apply renewed sanctions on Iran. He added that Iran’s only nuclear weapon cannot be itss.
“ I hated to do it, just so you understand. And I sincerely hope we can take steps to prevent it from becoming a very disastrous situation. I don’t want to see that happen”, Trump said.
