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!