
Netanyahu Praises Trump: Willingness to Puncture Conventional Thinking
US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday evening held a press conference following their meeting at the White House.
On the key issue of Gaza, the President once again spoke of his plan to relocate Gazans to several sites where they will be “able to live in comfort and peace. The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all the dangerous and unexploded bombs and other weapons, and get rid of the destroyed buildings, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.”
Netanyahu told Trump, “I believe that your willingness to puncture conventional thinking, your willingness to think outside the box with fresh ideas, will help us achieve all these goals. You see things others refuse to see. You say things others refuse to say, and after the jaws drop, people scratch their heads and say, ‘You know what? He’s right.’”
Here’s what key voices are saying about President Trump’s plan for Gaza and the application of sovereignty over Judea and Samaria:
“…for the first time, an American president is essentially declaring the end of the Palestinian dream to destroy Israel either through Gaza or through establishing a Palestinian state in the heart of the Land of Israel.” ~Israel Gantz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and Chairman of the Yesha Council
Trump’s statements on Gaza “…are unprecedented and show that he is serious. I don’t remember such a thing in history.” ~Amit Segal, Journalist
Amit Segal: ‘We couldn’t have hoped for anything better’, by Israel National News, February 5, 2025
“President Trump’s statement is clear and moving – both in regard to the encouragement of immigration from Gaza and the strategic importance of the State of Israel.” ~Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council
Those screaming about a “forced evacuation” obviously don’t understand the landscape. I know, from many direct conversations, that most people in Gaza wanted to leave even before 10/7, but no one would take them in. Now, the issue is both amplified and academic: there simply is no physical option to remain in Gaza. ~Former Ambassador David Friedman
We have no reason to believe that President Trump is not serious about his proposal to take over Gaza and create the Riviera of the Middle East, which will surely undergo developments in the weeks to come. Still, tough questions remain to be answered from Arab states’ opposition to relocating Gazans to the enormous cost for American taxpayers and the major challenges on the path to implementing his plan. There are many in the Jewish world who would prefer to see Gaza back in Israeli hands and the Arab community needs to ask tough questions too. The Israeli government is certainly taking this seriously with Defense Minister Israel Katz saying today that the IDF will prepare a detailed plan that will enable the implementation of President Trump’s vision for the immigration of Gazans. Buckle up!

Trump EO Gives Clarity on Iran
On Tuesday, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order to reinstate a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran.
The preamble is clear and direct. Since its inception in 1979 as a revolutionary theocracy, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has declared its hostility to the United States and its allies and partners. Iran remains the world’s leading state sponsor of terror and has aided Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, the Taliban, al-Qa’ida, and other terrorist networks. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is itself a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
The memorandum defines the US policy towards Iran, and is aimed at far more than stopping the regime from pursuing a nuclear weapon. It also aims to deny Iran nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles; that Iran’s network and campaign of regional aggression be neutralized; that the IRGC and its surrogates be disrupted, degraded, or denied access to the resources that sustain their destabilizing activities; and to counter Iran’s aggressive development of missiles and other asymmetric and conventional weapons capabilities.

Reason to be Concerned
The Biden administration, weeks before leaving power, funneled more than $3 million in taxpayer cash to the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF), according to a nonpublic notice transmitted to Congress that was reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon. Those funds allowed the PASF to conduct “firearms and ammunition” training—and came after its members carried out scores of attacks against Israelis.
That spending—both past and, potentially, future—is drawing concerns in both Israel and Washington, D.C., given PASF’s deep and longstanding ties to terrorism carried out against Israelis.

Will New Advisors Lead to Victory?
Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir, the Defense Ministry director general, was tapped by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz on Saturday to become the next chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces.
A brief statement from the Prime Minister’s Office announced the nomination of Zamir. He is to take up the post on March 6, becoming the IDF’s 24th chief of staff, following the resignation of Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.
Prominent Israeli American columnist and JNS senior contributing editor Caroline B. Glick is returning to the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem to serve as International Affairs Adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Glick, who worked with Netanyahu over a quarter century ago before becoming a widely read columnist, took up her new position on Sunday, almost three years after the first episode of her record-breaking “The Caroline Glick Show” premiered on JNS TV in 2022.
Maj. Gen. Zamir comes from the Armored Corps division and is no stranger to combat. He appears to be determined to have Israel eliminate Hamas from Gaza and to emerge victorious in all her battles. Caroline Glick has been a clear voice of peace through strength in the handling of Israel’s existential wars. Caroline will be accompanying Prime Minister Netanyahu on his visit to the Trump White House tomorrow (Tuesday).
With these two new appointments we have renewed optimism about the path Israel is on.

When it Comes to Sovereignty Numbers Don’t Lie
A new survey has found that the majority of Israelis support formal annexation of Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.
The survey, carried out to measure support of Jewish sovereignty over all or some of Judea and Samaria, examined the Israeli public’s views regarding sovereignty versus a Palestinian state, sovereignty versus the option of peace with Saudi Arabia, and more.
The resulting data showed that 71 percent of those polled oppose a Palestinian state in light of the Simchat Torah massacre events including twelve percent who supported such a state prior to October 7, 2023.
A total of 68 percent support applying sovereignty in Judea and Samaria (across all sovereignty options), the survey found.
Nadia Matar and Yehudit Katsover, co-chairs of the Sovereignty Movement said their organization was very pleased with the results of the poll. The two co-chairs said the results “reflect the health of the nation and the awakening from the illusion of peace through a Palestinian state. The Israeli public now understands that only sovereignty is the plan that will bring security and regional stability.”

A Day Later and Trump Still Insists
President Donald J. Trump insisted last Thursday that Egypt and Jordan would accept displaced Gazans, despite reports that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II both rejected his plan to relocate Gazans from the war-torn Strip. ”
They will do it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the Egyptian and Jordanian rejection, and whether he would consider imposing tariffs on either country to pressure them. “They’re going to do it. We do a lot for them, and they’re going to do it.”
Officials from Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia are in talks for an emergency meeting for all the Arab states to publicly oppose Trump’s proposal and exert pressure on him to reconsider his position, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with the discussions.
President Donald Trump will be welcoming King Abdullah II of Jordan to the White House this week. Will Trump apply pressure on him to accept his plan to relocate Gazans? Will he get the Arab nations to agree to his proposal? Trump is the master deal maker. We continue to watch this one closely to see how it turns out.

What Do Rubio and Trump Say About the Day After?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty earlier this week. It was reported that “the Secretary of State reinforced the importance of close cooperation to advance the day after the war, in order to ensure that Hamas can no longer control Gaza or threaten Israel.”
Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump presented Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi with the idea of having Egypt and Jordan accepting Gazans into their territory.
“I would like to bring them to an area where they can live without interferences and revolutions … When you look at Gaza, you see that it’s been hell for so many years,” Trump said, adding, “So I think you can get people out of there, who will live in much safer and, maybe much better, and more comfortable areas.”
Secretary of State Rubio’s statement reaffirms the truth that must prevail and as Trump succinctly stated, el-Sisi is “living in a complicated part of the world.” Nothing is getting better in the Middle East and it’s time for out-of-the box thinking to solve the many ongoing problems. Terrorism is the number one issue in this region, and it would be quite the accomplishment to overcome initial objections and convince others in the region to work towards a common goal of allowing all non-terrorists to live in safety and peace. Stay tuned!

Time’s Up
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon officially informed the members of the UN Security Council Tuesday that “within 48 hours, the State of Israel will cease its cooperation with UNRWA. UNRWA must cease its activities and evacuate all its facilities in Jerusalem.”
Ambassador Danon elaborated, “The legislation prohibits UNRWA from operating within the sovereign territory of the State of Israel and prohibits any contact between Israeli authorities and UNRWA. In addition, the organization is prohibited from maintaining any representative office, service or activity in our territories. Israel will terminate any cooperation, communication or contact with UNRWA or anyone acting on its behalf.”
The Ambassador added, “This decision comes after years of good-faith efforts to compel you to act against Hamas’ infiltration of UNRWA. The decision also reflects a grim reality: that UNRWA has failed morally and professionally and harmed people who were supposed to receive necessary support.”

For Sale: Jewish Land for the Jewish People
Israel’s Ministerial Committee has approved legislation advanced by the Land of Israel Caucus and Knesset member Moshe Solomon that will repeal a pre-1967 Jordanian law banning the sale of land to Jews in the Land of Israel.
The bill, approved Sunday and signed by more than 40 Knesset members from across the political spectrum, will allow Israelis to purchase land directly from Palestinian Authority citizens in Judea and Samaria. Up to this point, Israelis could only purchase such land through companies registered with the Civil Administration, and only after receiving a transaction permit from the supervisory body.
Entitled “Elimination of the Discrimination in the Purchase of Real Estate in Judea and Samaria”, the bill was previously proposed by Religious Zionism chairman MK Bezalel Smotrich.
The pro-Israel Sovereignty Movement likewise offered its congratulations, praising the Land of Israel Caucus “who led to the cancellation of the racist Jordanian law that prevented the sale of land to Jews in Judea and Samaria.”
Sovereignty Movement leaders Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar said they see the amendment of the law as “a necessary and expected step, which constitutes an additional stage on the way to a national awakening that will be completed with the full application of Israeli sovereignty over the entire area.”

Will Trump Get Iran to Make a Deal?
President Donald Trump suggested last Thursday that he would prefer to address the crisis over Iran’s proximity to nuclear breakout time without Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. (Just in case he has authorized shipment of 2000 pound bombs that had been previously been denied to Israel.)
Trump was asked by reporters in the Oval Office if he would support Israeli strikes, and responded, “We’ll have to see. I’m gonna be meeting with various people over the next couple of days. Hopefully, that can be worked out without having to worry about it.”
“It would really be nice if that could be worked out without having to go that further step,” Trump said. “Hopefully that can be worked out. Iran hopefully will make a deal, and if they don’t make a deal, I guess that’s OK too.” Implying that an Israeli strike is still an option on the table.
President Trump surprised everyone during his first term with the initiative and success of the Abraham Accords. Will he be able to build upon that success in the case of Iran? We eagerly wait to see what out-of-the-box proposal President Trump presents to stop Iran, its proxies and its dangerous nuclear enrichment activities.