Donald Trump issued a sharp ultimatum to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, threatening serious consequences if the widely-criticized deal with Hamas was not finalized. According to a new report by The Wall Street Journal, Trump’s nominee for Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, delivered the message during a meeting with Netanyahu in Israel.
“The president has been a great friend of Israel, and now it’s time to be a friend back,” Witkoff said. He added that Trump was “exasperated” by delays and warned there would be “all hell to pay” if an agreement failed to materialize.
Sources familiar with the meeting revealed that Witkoff told Netanyahu his negotiating team must be empowered to make decisions, warning, “If Netanyahu didn’t want to work that way, everyone should just pack their bags and go home.”
Following the meeting, Netanyahu ordered his team—comprising representatives from Mossad, Shin Bet, the IDF, and political advisors—to travel to Qatar for urgent talks aimed at finalizing the agreement.
The deal, reached in Doha on Wednesday and approved by the Israeli government on Shabbos, closely resembles a proposal put forth by U.S. President Joe Biden in May. However, Netanyahu had resisted that earlier plan, citing pressure from his far-right coalition partners and concerns about maintaining Israel’s military position.
In July, he reportedly told hostage families, “If we give up on victory over Hamas, we are all in danger,” according to a recording obtained by the WSJ.
After Witkoff’s meeting with Netanyahu, Trump claimed on Truth Social that Arab officials observed he had more influence on Netanyahu in one meeting than Biden had over the past year.
Witkoff reportedly alleviated concerns from Hamas that the IDF would resume fighting after the release of hostages in the agreement’s first phase. “If everyone abides by the agreement, then Trump would encourage meaningful negotiations in Phase 2,” a source said.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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16 Responses
FRIEND OF ISRAEL? Absolutely!!!! President Donald Trump שליט”א is a friend of the Hostages, and of their freedom, which is more paramount than anything else whatsoever.
לב מלאכים ושרים ביד ה
We all know there are people, especially those on the left,, who are trying to sabotage President Trump’s relationship with Israel. This is no different.
Thank you YWN for daring to report this. We cannot be lulled into believing he is perfect for us.
Taking politics out of this there are huge differences between last year and now.
Last year the Israelis had a lot of infrastructure they wanted to degrade. At this point they aren’t accomplishing much.
It makes sense to withdraw now, IF they can get back the hostages and have security guarantees that allow reengagement if the missles start flying again.
He was a friend of Israel but it was not at americas expense.
He’s asking Israel to be a friend to America at Israel’s expense.
No tzushtel
And what a mamzer.
147 israel is not a friend of the hostages. A bad deal is a bad deal
This guy is a mamzer
I voted for Trump, yet I have no illusions that he can be quite detrimental to Israel as well. I think overall, he’ll be way better than Biden and his cronies. But Trump has a major flaw – it’s called EGO. Everything and I mean EVERYTHING rests on his ego. He wants a deal, there better be a deal.
As Frum Yidden, we know better. I may have voted for Trump, and I’d do so again if elections were tomorrow, but I know he can be plenty trouble too.
‘לב מלכים ושרים ביד ה , nothing else needs to be said if we truly believe in that.
At least YWN has the guts to be somewhat honest. This week readers of Mishpacha were once again greeted with a cover page depicting Trump as a king with a crown on his head. This is the second time in the past few months that Mishpacha saw for to depict Trump as a king. The fawning coverage of the frum print media is grotesque. No mention of Trump posting the rants of vile antisemite Jeffrey Sachs. Only fawning slavish coverage.
The man who dines with Kanye and Fuentes. The man who praises Hitler’s generals. The man who can never call out antisemites on his side. The man who promotes Tucker Carlson. The man who reposts Jeffrey Sachs is NOT a friend of Israel or the Jews. Wake up and face reality.
How could you trust YWN if they don’t even put their source?
Jersey Jew:
That should be:
לב מלכים ושרים ביד ה
velicher choosid:
“Us” means Jews. Nothing in this story is indicative about that.
Hashem doesn’t like when the Jewish people place such faith in someone.
This Shabbos we read Parshas Shemos. In this Parsha the Pharaoh who honored Yosef hardened his heart and became an enemy of the Jewish people. It seems that the Trump who was a friend of Israel has now become Israel’s enemy, forcing them to release thousands of terrorists with blood on their hands who are going to go out and murder again chas veshalom. The only thing we can learn from this is that we can never rely on human beings, we can only rely on Hashem. And just as the Jews in Egypt went out of Egypt and the oppression of Pharaoh, so will we, Am Yisrael, merit the geula shelaima and we will all realize that “Ein Lanu Al Mi Lehishaein Ela Al Avina SheBashamayim” – we can only rely on Hashem and not on people.
Nobody is perfect, but if you think you have found someone who would be better not only for us but for the rest of America, please let us all know.
It’s all in Hashem’s hands anyway.
Oh, for sure, Kamala Harris would have been much better..
YWN never misses an opportunity to bash Trump.
Apparently TDS is not easily overcome.