Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s unwavering security stance and growing regional influence in a televised interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier on Tuesday, following extensive talks with US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Discussing efforts to reach a second phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, Netanyahu was candid: “One word, disarmament.” He stated that Hamas still possesses 60,000 Kalashnikov rifles and maintains hundreds of kilometers of terror tunnels. “You’ve got to take all these rifles, take them away from them,” he said, noting Hamas’ refusal to disarm is the main obstacle to progress.
On whether the disarmament of Hamas is achievable, Netanyahu remained cautiously optimistic: “I think we have to give it a chance,” noting the possibility of an international stabilization force. “If it can be done the easy way, fine.”
He rejected media speculation that he had to convince President Trump of his position. “We saw eye to eye. He cut right to the chase,” Netanyahu said. “He said, look, skip all this press stuff… you’ve got to get Hamas to disarm.”
Addressing criticism of Israeli military actions during the ceasefire, Netanyahu pointed to the necessity of defensive action: “These terrorists try to kill us… What would you do? Well, you just did. There was this jihadist in Syria who killed two Americans. Bam. You hit them back.”
Turning to tensions in Judea and Samaria, Netanyahu dismissed reports of widespread violence by Jewish residents. “It’s about 70 kids. They’re not from the West Bank… they do things like chopping the olive trees… I can’t accept that. That’s vigilantism. I’m taking that out.” He emphasized the asymmetry between these incidents and the over 1,000 terrorist attacks targeting Israeli civilians.
“I want peaceful coexistence between the Israelis and the Palestinians who live in Judea and Samaria, which is part of our ancestral homeland,” he added.
On broader diplomatic efforts, Netanyahu spoke of prospects for peace with Saudi Arabia and other Muslim-majority countries: “I think it’s possible precisely because of the great achievements that we had fighting Iran and its axis… people are open to a peace agreement.” He credited Israel’s military strength and economic success as motivating factors: “We’re just a high-tech juggernaut.”
Regarding Gaza’s future, Netanyahu said a new governing body is possible “if you disarm Hamas,” adding, “The point here is not to negotiate with Hamas… Their job is to vanish, stop, no more. And you know who wants it more than anyone else? The people of Gaza.”
Addressing the Iranian threat, Netanyahu confirmed Tehran is attempting to rebuild its nuclear and missile programs. He stressed the importance of preventing Iran from obtaining enrichment capabilities and called for inspections and the removal of enriched material.
“The President was correct when he said that Fordow was obliterated, so they’re trying other sites. They’ll try that. They also are trying to recover their ballistic missile production facility,” Netanyahu said, adding, “We set them back considerably on both areas, but, yeah, they’ll try. And I think the President was right to tell them, ‘hey, don’t, don’t’. That’s basically what his message was.”
“And I think with Iran, the real issue is they should accept the fact that they shouldn’t have enrichment, nuclear enrichment capability. They should take out all the material that they’ve already enriched, take it out of Iran and have inspections,” continued Netanyahu.
He revealed that Iran recently conducted military exercises simulating missile attacks on Israel: “I said if you dare do that, you know, the results would be devastating. So I hope Iran doesn’t make that mistake.”
On his ongoing legal trial, Netanyahu dismissed the charges as politically motivated. “The president was right to call for a pardon,” he said. “They said that I received a bribe… favorable coverage in a third-rate Internet site. That’s the bribe.”
He highlighted the absurdity of the proceedings: “On the first day of my cross-examination… 29 years ago, your son received a Bugs Bunny doll. That’s what they’re cross-examining. And about cigars I received from a friend. That’s the trial. So it’s ridiculous. It’s been dissolving.And the president is right to ask for a pardon.”
When asked about criticism that he is prolonging the war for political gain, Netanyahu responded sharply: “This is so vicious and so false… I’ve been to war… One of my best friends died in my arms… That’s the last thing I want.” He emphasized his mission to transform military victory into lasting peace: “What I want to do is to secure the future of Israel and to give it a future of peace, prosperity, and security.”
On the rise in global antisemitism, Netanyahu said, “If somebody says they want to kill you… believe them, and be prepared.” He called for stronger international responses: “President Trump does. Many governments don’t. And they should.”
In response to a final question on Syria’s interim government, Netanyahu said, “We’d like to see if we can have a different relationship with them. We have talks, which we never had with the Assad regime.”
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