Five Important Points in the Positions of Trump and Netanyahu

TEHRAN (Defapress) - Donald Trump hosted the Israeli Prime Minister for lunch at Mar-a-Lago on Monday. Trump and Netanyahu emphasized in a joint press conference that they agree on most issues; from the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire and the possibility of another bombing of Iran to Trump's eligibility to receive a service to the Jewish people award.

Authorizing a new attack on Iran

As soon as he welcomed Netanyahu, Trump was asked whether he supported another Israeli attack on Iran to curb its missile capabilities. Trump replied: "If they continue to build missiles, yes. If Iran works on a nuclear program again, the United States is ready to strike immediately."

He added: “I hope Iran does not seek to strengthen its weapons again, because we have no choice but to destroy it quickly. I hope they do not, because we do not want to waste fuel on the B-2 bomber; it takes 37 hours to go there and back.”

Trump’s position on Hamas disarmament

In response to a question about Hamas’s disarmament, the US president said: “They will be given a short period of time to disarm, but if they do not, there is hell waiting for them. If Hamas does not accept disarmament, the same countries that previously supported Hamas will destroy Hamas.”

This claim apparently refers to the international peacekeeping force authorized by the UN Security Council, and in particular, Turkey and Qatar, Hamas’s supporters in the ceasefire agreement.

West Bank disagreement

Trump, when asked about the wave of Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank, said: “I spoke with Netanyahu about it. I can’t say we agree 100 percent on the West Bank, but we will get there.”

When asked what exactly the disagreement was about, Trump did not give a specific answer, but said: “It will be announced at the right time. I will do the right thing.”

The Trump administration has reportedly opposed formally annexing the West Bank, where some 3 million Palestinians and more than 600,000 Israelis live in illegal settlements.

Netanyahu pardon on the way

Trump then quoted Israeli President Isaac Herzog as saying that a pardon for Netanyahu was on the way, a claim Herzog’s office quickly denied. Trump said: “How can he not grant a pardon? I spoke to the president, and he said it was on its way.”

Herzog’s office said there had been no conversation between him and Trump since he submitted his pardon request a few weeks ago. Netanyahu is the first Israeli prime minister to be indicted for corruption, bribery and breach of trust while in office.

Israel Prize for Trump

After Trump complained on camera about not receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Netanyahu announced that Trump would be the first non-Israeli to receive the Israel Prize for “special services to the Jewish people.”

In a video released by Netanyahu’s office, he held up his cellphone to let the Israeli education minister tell Trump that he was being awarded the prize for moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing the annexation of the Golan Heights, scrapping the Iran nuclear deal, and recent efforts to free Israeli hostages in Gaza. Netanyahu then said, “You forgot the B-2 bombers, add that in!”