FULL REMARKS: President Trump & Netanyahu Outline 20-Point Gaza Plan — Ceasefire Could Be Near |AC1E (youtube.com)
‘Peace in the Middle East.'
This cements his reputation as a deal maker, and no Democrats even can deny it, if it even lasts a year or two. Other Middle East powers and European countries all involved. ‘Things they can live with and things they can’t live with.' Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt.
Immediate (72 hours) return of hostages and bodies, immediate cesation of hostilities, demilitarization of Gaza, decomission military powers of Hamas and all other ‘terrorist organizations’, destroy all tunnels, infrastructure, etc. They'll train police forces working with the new transitional infrastructure, and Israeli forces will withdraw in phases. Arab and Muslim countries will deal with Hamas, Trump guesses they probably already have an understanding. If Hamas accepts the deal, ‘they’re the only one left. Everyone else has accepted it.' (?)
He said US will be there helping with security.
But how can Palestinians trust Israel and give up all their defenses, that is to say weapons and infrastructure?
He hopes they can get along with Iran.
Trump talked about how he set up the US embassy in Jerusalem in his first term, something popular with Jews there, and something a lot of people had reservations or concerns about. ‘No president’s been better to Israel than Donald Trump. ... The people of Israel want it.'
The hostages worked a lot, it seems. It at least gave them a bargaining chip, especially a political popularity bargaining chip, a bargaining chip for Trump or anyone who wanted to broker a deal.
Netanyahu said it this way, ‘I support your plan to end the war in Gaza, which achieves our war aims. It will bring back to Israel all our hostages, dismantle Hamas’ military capabilities, end its political rule, and ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel.'
He did take some digs, though, perhaps to sow opposition amongs the Palestinians, opening his speech with naming the four points of the Jewish territories, names that are probalby provocative to Palestinians more than just contexutalizing for Jews. He thanked the Israeli soldiers in the war ‘between civilization and barbarism.’ Who is the barbarism? He mentioned successes against Iran (air strikes).
‘Israel will retain security responsibility, including a security perimeter.’
Palestine will have a government which is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority.
‘But if Hamas rejects your plan, Mr President, or if it initially seems to accept it but then basically does everything to counter it, then Israel will finish the job. This can be done the easy way or the hard way, but it will be done. We prefer the easy way...’
He noted that Trump had rejected the idea of a Palestinian State (at the UN recently). The PA can have no role in Gaza without undergoing a radical transformation.
The PA would have to recognize the Jewish state, change textbooks (that teach negative things about Jews). But Palestinian lands will be governed not by Hamas or the PA, but by people who genuinely want peace in Gaza (foreign Muslim nations, I guess).
On Trump's suggestion, they took no questions after the speeches, and Netanyahu agreed.
This use of foreign forces in a war zone, is this basically an alternative UN? A lot of people talk about the threat (positive or negative) to the Western/US hegemony alliance posed by BRICS, but maybe a new alliance will emerge that is US/Israel, UK, (Canada Australia subservient to US), Middle Eastern states, Turkey, Argentina, El Salvador. Maybe with participation from Pakistan, India, Taiwan.