Posted on 02/04/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Tuesday at the White House with US President Donald Trump. Netanyahu is the first international leader to be invited for a meeting following the President's inauguration for his second term in office.
Trump welcomed Netanyahu at the entrance of the White House, and the two shook hands and posed for photos. Before their one-on-one meeting, the two gave brief statements and responded to questions from reporters.
Asked by Arutz Sheva-Israel National News if the Saudis are expecting a Palestinian state as a condition for normalization with Israel, Trump replied, "No."
"Everybody is demanding one thing: Peace. We want peace. We want people to stop being killed. And he wants peace also," Trump added, pointing to Netanyahu.
Trump complimented Netanyahu and said, "We have the right leader of Israel. He's done a great job, and we've been friends for a long time, and I think we have a combination that's very unbeatable."
Netanyahu reiterated that he has three goals for the war: Getting all the hostages out, destroying Hamas' military capabilities and making sure Gaza never poses a threat to Israel again."
"I have three goals and I will meet all three goals. I think the President can help enormously," he added.
Trump said he is confident that it is possible to get a hostage deal done, saying, “Sure, why wouldn’t a deal get done? A deal can get done, we’ll see what happens. We’re dealing with very complicated people, but a deal can absolutely get done.”
On his plan to relocate Gazans, Trump was asked what other countries would accept Gazans if Jordan and Egypt do not agree to do so and replied, "I think Jordan and Egypt will. I know they've said they're not going to accept, but I say they will. I think other countries will accept also."
"I think that Gaza is a demolition site right now. If you look at Gaza, there's hardly a building standing and the ones that are, are going to collapse. I think we need another location that's going to make people happy."
"If we can get a beautiful area to resettle people, permanently, in nice homes, where they can be happy and not be killed, like what's happening in Gaza...the whole thing is a mess, and I think that if we can resettle...Gaza's not a place for people to be living, and the only reason they want to go back is that they don't have an alternative."
"You could build four or five or six areas, some place where they can live and not die. Gaza is a place where they're going to end up dying," Trump stated. "I hope we can do something where they wouldn't want to go back [to Gaza]."
At the conclusion of the one-on-one meeting, both leaders will again make statements to the press.
Netanyahu's central message to Trump is that "Israel cannot give up on ending Hamas' rule in Gaza and on disarming the Strip of weapons as part of the agreements that will bring about the continuation of the hostage deal."
Earlier, an Israeli official in Netanyahu’s entourage commented on the continuation of talks on the hostage deal ahead of the meeting between Netanyahu and Trump.
"Hamas is making all sorts of empty claims about humanitarian aid. There is concern about some Hamas deception before the next rounds. The delegation will leave for Doha on Saturday to deal with matters concerning the first phase of the deal. Israel will positively consider the possibility of extending the first phase of the deal," the source said.
He responded to the briefing that President Trump does not want to see Hamas in Gaza, saying: "We are seeing things eye to eye. Hamas will not be in Gaza. The US also understands the problematic nature of the Palestinian Authority as a body that supports terror and acts against Israel on the international level."