Israeli PM Netanyahu meets with Trump at Mar-a-Lago

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU AND HIS WIFE, SARA… 

MET WITH REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP – AT HIS MAR-A-LAGO HOME IN FLORIDA FRIDAY MORNING.

WHILE TAKING QUESTIONS FROM REPORTERS – NETANYAHU SAID HE AND TRUMP DISCUSSED THE ISRAELI AND AMERICAN HOSTAGES STILL BEING HELD IN HAMAS’ CAPTIVITY.

NETANYAHU ALSO REITERATED – ISRAEL AND THE U-S ARE WORKING ON SECURING A CEASEFIRE DEAL BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS – TO BRING THE REMAINING HOSTAGES HOME.

ISRAELI OFFICIALS ESTIMATE THERE ARE AT LEAST 120 HOSTAGES IN HAMAS CAPTIVITY AND THAT A THIRD OF THEM ARE LIKELY DEAD.

HERE’S WHAT NETANYAHU AND TRUMP HAD TO SAY WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE HOSTAGE NEGOTIATIONS:

 [BENJAMIN NETANYAHU] 

“I THINK THERE’S BEEN SOME MOVEMENT BECAUSE OF THE MILITARY PRESSURE THAT WE EXERTED. I HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE SUFFICIENT MOVEMENT TO GET THE DEAL COMPLETED.”

[PRESIDENT TRUMP]

“IT’S A VERY TOUGH. THAT’S A VERY TOUGH SITUATION, HOSTAGES. THEY HAVE TO BE GIVEN BACK IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE THERE CAN BE NO WAY THAT THEY’RE IN GOOD SHAPE AND THEY’RE OBVIOUSLY NOT BEING TREATED PROPERLY, AND YOU HOPE THAT THEY’RE OKAY. BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF HOSTAGES, I’M SURE THAT WILL NOT BE OKAY, AND THAT’S JUST NOT AN ACCEPTABLE SITUATION.”>

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

DURING HIS TRIP TO THE U-S – NETANYAHU SAID HE’S HOPING IT LEADS TO A QUICKER CEASEFIRE DEAL.

HE MET WITH LIKELY DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS THURSDAY EVENING.

SHE TOLD THE PRIME MINISTER SHE WILL “NOT BE SILENT” ON THE SUFFERING IN GAZA – WHILE ALSO EMPHASIZING ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF AFTER HAMAS’S OCTOBER 7TH TERROR ATTACK AGAINST THE JEWISH STATE.

TRUMP ALSO FOUND A MOMENT TO POLITICALLY CRITICIZE HARRIS’ COMMENTS WHEN ASKED IF HE HAD ANY COMMENT ON HER MEETING WITH NETANYAHU.

[PRESIDENT TRUMP]

“ SHE’S A RADICAL LEFT PERSON. SAN FRANCISCO, DESTROYED SAN FRANCISCO. SHE’S REALLY A DESTROYER. SHE DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO BUILD. AND, I THINK HER REMARKS WERE DISRESPECTFUL. THEY WEREN’T VERY NICE PERTAINING TO ISRAEL. I ACTUALLY DON’T KNOW HOW A PERSON WHO’S JEWISH CAN VOTE FOR HER, BUT THAT’S UP TO THEM. BUT SHE WAS CERTAINLY DISRESPECTFUL TO ISRAEL, IN MY OPINION.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR] 

ACCORDING TO A STATEMENT RELEASED BY TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN: NETANYAHU THANKED TRUMP FOR “WORKING TO PROMOTE STABILITY IN THE REGION” WHILE “PRESIDENT TRUMP EXPRESSED HIS SOLIDARITY WITH ISRAEL AFTER THE HEINOUS OCTOBER 7 ATTACK AND PLEDGED THAT WHEN HE RETURNS TO THE WHITE HOUSE, HE WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO BRING PEACE TO THE MIDDLE EAST AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM FROM SPREADING THROUGHOUT COLLEGE CAMPUSES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.”

MEANWHILE – THE TIMES OF ISRAEL REPORTS: HAMAS REJECTED A PROPOSED CEASEFIRE DEAL THURSDAY NIGHT – BEFORE IT WAS EVER SENT. 

FOR SAN, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR

FOR MORE UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACTS – DOWNLOAD THE SAN APP.