Smotrich says he spoke with US treasury secretary
Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says he spoke with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday.
“In their conversation, Minister Smotrich emphasized the deep and strategic friendship between Israel and the United States, and the two countries’ mutual commitment to promoting shared values and strengthening the economy,” his office said in a statement.
“Minister Smotrich thanked the secretary for the unequivocal support of President Trump and the new administration for Israel. The two agreed to continue discussing the joint economic issues on the agenda soon.”
Netanyahu prepares to fly to meet Trump at White House
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will depart on Sunday for the United States to meet President Donald Trump, his office says.
Netanyahu has been invited to visit Trump at the White House on Tuesday and they will discuss the situation in Gaza, captives held in the Palestinian territory, and dealings with Iran and its regional allies.
Ben-Gvir: ‘We must return to war and destroy our enemies’
Far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir issued a statement celebrating the release of those held captive in Gaza but urged the government to resume the war on Gaza.
“We must not forget for a moment who the cruel enemy we are dealing with is,” he said. “Day by day, the message is clear and unambiguous to everyone: we must return to war and destroy our enemies.”
Ben-Gvir pulled his Jewish Power party out of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition last month after he approved the ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Israeli public being told ceasefire deal unlikely to succeed
Former Israeli Ambassador Alon Pinkas says the Israeli public is being exposed to “a new narrative” in the past 24 hours.
That narrative is “the ceasefire deal will not be completed … because Hamas won’t live up to the ceasefire agreement … and that it is doubtful that there’s going to be a phase two,” Pinkas, former consular general in New York, told Al Jazeera.
“You can put it in context and say [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu is floating a trial balloon of sorts ahead of his meeting with President Donald Trump next week. But there is also the conventional wisdom even if the first 42 days are implemented smoothly, and do occur without major interruption, it’s very doubtful that phase two or stage two will be implemented.”
Pinkas said Trump’s willingness to see through the ceasefire agreement depends on how successful Netanyahu is in convincing him to do otherwise.
“Netanyahu’s meeting with President Trump is so critical, not because of the details of what they’re going to talk about, but how serious Donald Trump is in getting this [ceasefire] done and if he’s going to succumb to Netanyahu’s inevitable manipulations.”
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