20 hours ago
14
ARTICLE AD BOX
Netanyahu is not just the prime minister of Channel 14 viewers. He’s the prime minister of all of us.
By JPOST EDITORIAL FEBRUARY 9, 2025 06:03 Updated: FEBRUARY 9, 2025 06:04
US President Donald Trump meets with Israeli prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in Washington D.C., February 4, 2025.
(photo credit: Liri Agami/Flash90)
It was a given that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the US last week and meeting with US President Donald Trump would be dramatic, with far-reaching implications regarding the vital issues facing Israel.
But nobody anticipated just how cataclysmic it was going to be – because nobody anticipated Trump’s declaration about Gaza. That includes his closest aides and Netanyahu, who were told about the president’s statements minutes before he made them in a joint press conference on Tuesday at the White House, according to a New York Times report.
Trump’s plan has gained traction in Israel, with opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz not discounting it and saying it has merit.
And what did Netanyahu think of Trump’s plan to empty Gaza of its more than two million residents and have the US take control of its rebirth?
To find that out, you would have to search for Fox News on your cable package – if you have one – and watch the prime minister’s interview with Sean Hannity.
He called Trump’s resettlement proposal a “remarkable idea.”
“The actual idea of allowing for Gazans who want to leave to leave, I mean, what’s wrong with that? They can leave, they can come back. They can relocate and come back. But you have to rebuild Gaza,” Netanyahu said.
“This is the first good idea I’ve heard. It’s a remarkable idea, and I think that it should be really examined, pursued, and done because I think it will create a different future for everyone.”
As he tends to do when traveling to the US, Netanyahu set up interviews with those he feels comfortable with – in this case, besides Fox, he also gave an interview with Newsmax. Both media outlets don’t pretend to be impartial and wear their allegiance to American conservatism as well as Israeli nationalism on their sleeve.
Netanyahu prefers softballs lobbed his way that he can hit out of the park with his natural eloquence and passion, and those American forums provide the perfect sympathetic platform.
Stay updated with the latest news!
Subscribe to The Jerusalem Post Newsletter
Netanyahu's only interview with Israeli media
In Israel, that platform is Channel 14, which nabbed an interview with Netanyahu from Washington – his only interview given to an Israeli media outlet during his trip. Nabbed is probably a strong word; the prime minister probably approached them.
In fact, it’s hard to recall the last time Netanyahu sat down for an interview with an Israeli journalist not deemed “friendly” by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The last time he held a press conference of sorts was on December 9, ahead of his testimony in the “Case 1000-4000” trials. During that event, he lashed out at KAN reporter Michael Shemesh, accusing him of “ spreading lies all the time.”
“How much fake news can you make up?” he yelled. He then accused Channel 12’s Yollan Cohen of “spreading slander” after she implied he got in the way of a hostage deal with Hamas.
There’s no doubt that the mainstream media in Israel is on the center-left of the political map, and they make no attempt to hide their disdain for Netanyahu and his coalition. However, as the prime minister, it’s his obligation to face the tough questions and not hide in his office, dealing only with those who support him.
The Israeli public is desperate for answers and for leadership. We need to hear from the prime minister and be reassured that his government is committed to going forward with the next phase of the ceasefire with Hamas, which has produced the miracle of hostages returning home after 15 months of captivity.
We need to know what Netanyahu’s response is to Trump’s outlandish proposal to solve the Gaza disaster, and we shouldn’t have to tune into Fox News to find out.
When he returns from his eventful week in Washington, some very difficult decisions must be made.
As those who will be most affected by those decisions, the people of Israel deserve the full attention and engagement of their leaders.
Netanyahu is not just the prime minister of Channel 14 viewers.
He’s the prime minister of all of us.
Hopefully, as we face this fateful period in our history when the fate of the remaining hostages is at stake, and the future of Gaza is being decided, he will start acting like it.
English (US) ·