“We had wonderful conversations,” Trump said at the beginning of his remarks. “Netanyahu is the first foreign leader to visit our administration. Bibi, I want to say it is a great honor to host you. In the last four years, the alliance between our countries has been tested more than ever before in history, but the bond and affection between our peoples have been maintained for years and are unwavering. I am confident that under our leadership the alliance between our countries will soon be stronger than ever.”
“We have had great victories in the past – not in the last four years,” Trump said in a clear dig at his predecessor Joe Biden, and recited his achievements in his first term. “During my tenure, I brought peace and stability to the Middle East that had not been seen in decades. We defeated ISIS, we withdrew from the nuclear agreement and imposed very harsh sanctions on the Iranian regime. We stopped Iran’s proxies and deprived them of resources. I recognized the Golan Heights, in the historic Abraham Accords we achieved the most important peace agreement in the Middle East. I believe that many countries will join this wonderful peace and this economic peace. There will be many who will sign. Unfortunately, in the last four years, no one has signed.”
“The horrors of October 7th would not have happened if I had been president,” Trump repeated, something he has said many times before. “Israel has endured aggression and murderous attacks on every front and fought back with great courage. This was a threat to the very existence of the Jewish state in its homeland. Israel stood strong against an enemy that kidnapped, raped and slaughtered innocent people, children and women, little babies. I want to salute the Israelis who stood with courage and determination. They were strong.”
After thanking his team and asking those present to applaud , Trump said: “We will only be satisfied if all the problems are solved and we have the team to solve them. It will happen quickly. The Gaza Strip has been a source of destruction and so bad for the people, the lives of the residents there are miserable. They need to go to other places. There are many of them who want to go from there. 1.8 million Gazans need to leave. The rich countries of the region need to finance it. They can go to one area, or 12. We will ensure that something amazing is done. We will have peace and they will not be shot, killed and destroyed.”
Trump stunned when he later said that “the United States will take over the Gaza Strip, we will do work there. We will control it and neutralize all the bombs. We will clear Gaza and get rid of the destruction and carry out economic development that will provide endless jobs and housing. It is impossible to go back. If they go back, it will happen again.” Netanyahu supported the idea: “A new future for the territory, it’s worth paying attention to’
Netanyahu, who issued a statement afterward, told Trump: “You are the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House. Its policy is bringing our hostages home, including American citizens. You have resumed the transfer of weapons that were withheld from Israel during a seven-front war against our existence.” The prime minister said that the two “see eye to eye on the Iranian issue. This is the same Iran that tried to kill both of us. It tried to assassinate itself and through a proxy to kill me.”
Trump, for his part, said he was not sure the cease-fire would last. “The Biden administration didn’t help us, but we were able to get some hostages out and we’ll get more out. We’re dealing with problematic people. I hope we get more out, they’ll come out very damaged. But they’ll get better and be strong and have a good life and we hope to release as many as possible. We hope the cease-fire will last, but I’m not sure.”
The American president said, further in his statement, that he “sees long-term ownership of Gaza, it will bring stability to the Middle East. Everyone I’ve talked to loves the idea. Developing this area and creating thousands of jobs would be a great thing. Today you can’t see it because you only see destruction. I’ve seen it from every angle and it’s a dangerous area to be in and it’s only going to get worse.”
At the beginning of the meeting, Trump spoke at length, essentially saying that his plan was to evacuate all residents of the Gaza Strip to seven or eight areas around the world- and forever. “Who would want to go back there? There’s nothing but death and destruction. We’ll build them lovely cities,” he said. He had even said before that the Palestinians “have no choice but to leave Gaza . ”
The two discussed a variety of topics during their meeting, the first of which was the question of continuing the hostage deal. Trump and his people made it clear over and over again that they wanted to maintain the cease-fire and continue with the second phase – which would mean a permanent cease-fire and the end of the war. When Trump was asked at the beginning of the meeting if he believed the deal could be completed, he replied: “Why not? Yes, of course. We can definitely complete the deal.”