A few minutes before Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump’s press conference began, one of the Prime Minister’s advisors said that what had happened earlier in the Oval Office was “crazy.” This is an apt description of the 40-minute media event that followed. At times, one did not know where they were. Was the leader of the world’s greatest power standing before us crazy, a dreamer, or was he a genius, a prophet shaping history before our eyes and creating a new Middle East?
Everyone took from this press conference what suited them. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and the settlement leaders popped champagne bottles and tweeted passages from the Bible about the grace God had shown by bringing Trump back to the White House. David Friedman, Trump’s former ambassador to Israel, was already suggesting names for the new Gaza: Mar-a-Gaza or Gaz-a-Lago.
As the press conference began, Trump was surprised at how packed the East Room of the White House was with hundreds of journalists.
“That’s a lot of press. Congratulations. You attract them. You really attract them,” Trump said to Netanyahu.
Ultimately, Trump normalized the term “transfer,” which was once considered a slur. Trump repeatedly presented his plan to empty the Gaza Strip of its inhabitants—all 1.8 million residents—and relocate them to various parts of the world, where they could lead peaceful and prosperous lives. In the meantime, the US would take control of the Gaza Strip—even deploying troops if necessary—and transform Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
Journalists pressed further: Who would live in Gaza after its reconstruction? Could Palestinians return to Gaza? Trump, seemingly captivated by his own fantasy, responded with an equally bizarre answer: They could return to Gaza, but people from all over the world could also live there. “We will create thousands of jobs and make it a thriving place.”
When asked about his “Deal of the Century,” which envisioned the creation of a Palestinian state, Trump replied that much had changed in the Middle East since his first presidency.
See related: Knesset votes 68-9 for resolution against Palestinian state
The highlight of the press conference was Trump’s response to an Israeli journalist’s question about whether he would support Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.
“We are discussing this with many of your representatives. People like the idea, but we haven’t taken a position on it yet. There will probably be an announcement on this within the next four weeks,” Trump said. His response made it clear that Netanyahu had raised the issue of sovereignty in their meeting to prevent Smotrich and his supporters from toppling the government.
Trump and Netanyahu exchanged compliments, both visibly enjoying the praise from the other. When a journalist asked Trump about their relationship, which had experienced highs and lows, Trump replied, “Mostly highs.” He praised Netanyahu for his excellent work and called him a friend. Netanyahu thanked Trump for his great strength and leadership in the hostage deal, implying that Trump deserved credit for it. Trump added that he and Bibi were an “unstoppable team.”
Netanyahu appeared very pale, and heavy makeup could not hide his pallor. He recently underwent major surgery, and there are rumors that Bibi is still unwell. Another interesting detail: the absence of Sara Netanyahu at the event. The prime minister’s wife, who had once referred to Trump as the card up her husband’s sleeve, did not appear at the White House. She also did not attend Netanyahu’s meetings with Evangelical leaders or the reception at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, despite being scheduled for both events. Her name was even placed at the table for the meeting with the Evangelical leaders.
Throughout the press conference, Trump made statements that were nothing short of astonishing. His claim that the US would take over the Gaza Strip was just one of them. During his remarks, Trump reaffirmed his intention to complete the entire hostage deal and issued a warning to Hamas: “If all the hostages are not released, we will act more violently.”
The American president also promised to visit Israel, “as well as Gaza and Saudi Arabia.” Netanyahu expressed optimism about the possibility of reaching a normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia. “It’s not just possible—it will happen,” said Netanyahu.
Trump embarrassed the Saudis by stating that Riyadh was not demanding a Palestinian state. No wonder the Saudis quickly issued an official statement declaring that there would be no relations with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Trump continued to astonish as he said, “The US will take over the Gaza Strip and work there. We will be responsible for removing dangerous explosives and other unexploded ordnance, demolishing destroyed houses, leveling the area, creating a development zone that will generate endless jobs for the people of the region. We will do real work—something different.”
“I see a long-term control over Gaza—that will bring stability to the Middle East,” Trump later said. “Everyone I’ve spoken to likes the idea. Developing this area and creating thousands of jobs will be great. Right now, you don’t see it because all you see is destruction. I’ve seen it from every angle, and it’s a dangerous area that will only get worse.”
He predicted a bright future for the region: “I predict that in the future, people from all over the world will live in Gaza. We will turn it into an amazing place with enormous potential. Many people will live there, including Palestinians. They’ve tried it the other way for decades, it didn’t work, and it will never work. Right now, they are living in hell, but Gaza can become the Riviera of the Middle East.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu seized the opportunity to settle scores with Joe Biden: “You are the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House. Your policies are bringing our hostages home, including American citizens. You resumed the delivery of weapons that were denied to Israel during a war on seven fronts for our very existence.”
Netanyahu also stated that Israel and the US succeed when they work together, but when there are major differences, “it simply does not work.”
Netanyahu referenced Trump’s revolutionary plan and said: “In Gaza, we have three goals: to destroy Hamas’s military capabilities, to ensure that Gaza is no longer a threat to Israel, and to bring all the hostages home. I believe that your unconventional thinking, with new ideas, will help us achieve these goals. You see things others refuse to see. You say things others do not dare to say. This mindset enabled the Abraham Accords, will reshape the Middle East, and will bring peace.”
Regarding Iran, Trump expressed hope that “Iran will become a peaceful and prosperous country. We put them in a situation where they had no money, they were bankrupt. I hate to do it again, and I say to Iran, which is listening closely: I would love to make a great deal with you so you can continue your lives. But they cannot have nuclear weapons.”
Netanyahu responded: “The President has said something that is at the core of everything we are saying: Iran must not have nuclear weapons. We fully agree. If this can be achieved through a campaign of maximum pressure—all the better. The most important thing is the goal.”
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Looks like some do not read their Bibles. Prophecy tells us there will be no peace until the Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ returns at the 2nd advent with His army to destroy all His enemies and then sits on David’s throne, where the false dome of the rock sits, at the moment.
Old Ron says: you should read Zephaniah 2:4 through 7. It has already been written.
The Lord works in mysterious ways, but everything He has written, will, come to pass, regardless of how our finite minds think of what we read into the scriptures.
In His time and in His way.