Former US President Donald Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a high-profile lunch meeting at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday. The two leaders presented a united front, claiming broad agreement on major issues, though several significant details and disagreements emerged during their remarks to the press.
Gaza, Hamas and the Threat of 'Hell to Pay'
Central to their discussions was the stalled peace plan for Gaza. Trump issued a stark warning to Hamas, stating the militant group would be given a "very short period of time to disarm" as part of the ceasefire agreement. He declared that failure to comply would mean "hell to pay" and that it would be "horrible for them."
In a notable claim, Trump suggested that unnamed countries which had previously supported Hamas were now prepared to "wipe out" the group if it refused to lay down its arms. This appeared to reference the UN-authorised international stabilisation force, though no participating nation has pledged an offensive role beyond peacekeeping duties.
Iran Strikes and West Bank Tensions
The spectre of renewed conflict with Iran also loomed large. When asked if he would support new Israeli strikes to curb Iran's ballistic missile programme, Trump responded, "If they will continue with the missiles, yes." He added that the US was prepared to act "immediately" if Iran resumed work on its nuclear programme, at one point conflating the two issues.
On the subject of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Trump acknowledged a disagreement with Netanyahu, stating, "I wouldn’t say we agree on the West Bank a hundred percent." However, he refused to elaborate on the nature of the dispute, saying it would be announced later. Reports suggest the Trump administration opposes Israel's formal annexation of the territory, home to around 3 million Palestinians and over 600,000 Israeli settlers.
A Disputed Pardon and a New Prize
In more controversial remarks, Trump claimed that Israel's President, Isaac Herzog, had told him a pardon for Netanyahu was "on its way." Netanyahu is the first sitting Israeli prime minister to face criminal charges, denying allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Herzog's office swiftly disputed Trump's account, stating no such conversation had taken place since a pardon request was submitted weeks ago.
Following the meeting, Netanyahu revealed that Trump would become the first non-Israeli recipient of the prestigious Israel Prize, awarded for his "special contribution to the Jewish people." The honour reportedly recognises Trump's move of the US embassy to Jerusalem, his recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, his scrapping of the Iran nuclear deal, and efforts to secure the release of Israeli hostages from Gaza.
The meeting underscored the continued close alliance between the two figures, with significant implications for Middle Eastern geopolitics, particularly regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the persistent tensions with Iran.
