As Middle East Talks Begin in DC, Large Majority of Israelis Favor Sovereignty over Judea, Samaria

JERUSALEM, Israel – A meeting between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on the agenda at the White House on Tuesday. The meeting is pivotal as the two leaders discuss major issues affecting the Middle East, from Gaza to Iran.

The ceasefire and hostage deal between Hamas and Israel will be a key topic during the talks. While taking questions from reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said he's not sure the ceasefire will last. 

He stated, "I have no assurances that it will hold but I’ve seen people brutalized. Nobody’s ever seen anything like it. I have no guarantees the peace is going to hold.”

The president asked his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff about the ceasefire.

Wikoff replied, “It’s holding so far, we’re certainly hopeful at the president’s direction to get the hostages out, save lives, and come to, hopefully a peaceful settlement that will go on, but so far it’s holding.”

The president also explained how Israel is a tiny nation in the region. 

"It’s a small country in terms of land," he said and pointed to his pen on the Oval Office desk to provide a comparison between Israel and the surrounding Arab nations. "See this pen, this wonderful pen? My desk is the Middle East, and the top of the pen is Israel. That’s not good, right? You know, pretty big difference," he remarked.

While Arab nations are rejecting the idea, Trump is advocating that Gazans be relocated to Egypt, Jordan, or other countries – either temporarily or permanently – while Gaza is rebuilt.

Trump will also view a 47-minute raw video of the Hamas massacre on October 7th, 2023.

The Prime Minister's Office announced Netanyahu will extend his trip through Saturday because of the many new requests for meetings.

On Monday, he gathered with Christian leaders in a meeting hosted by the pending Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee.

House Speaker Mike Johnson also announced that Netanyahu will meet with congressional leaders who stated, "We need to be supporting Israel right now as strongly as ever."

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Trump recently issued an executive order affecting Israel. Politico reports it would defund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Trump is also asking Congress to authorize another $1 billion military aid package to Israel which includes 1,000-pound bombs and heavy equipment, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Forces troops are engaged in an operation called "Iron Wall" to eliminate terror groups in West Bank Palestinian cities such as Jenin and Nablus. 

Early this week, a new poll co-sponsored by Pulse of Israel showed that 71 percent of Israelis oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria, and 68 percent support declaring Israeli sovereignty there.

Some Israelis are hopeful that with President Trump in office, it might be an opportune time to extend sovereignty over Israel's biblical heartland. 

Another issue Netanyahu and Trump are certain to discuss is Iran. New intelligence reveals that Iran is looking to accelerate the timeline for producing a nuclear weapon.