>> you are not just talking about jordan. pres. trump: no, could be other places too. there are many people that have reached out, many countries, many leaders of countries that have reached out that would like to participate in that. it doesn't have to be jordan and egypt, but i think it would be also them. >> [indiscernible] pres. trump: no, i think it's mostly ups. >> [indiscernible] pres. trump: what? >> [indiscernible] pres. trump: well, it's had a pretty hard time, wouldn't you say? i'd say it's had a pretty bad time of it. >> do you think qatar is part of the solution or part of the problem? pres. trump: i think they're trying to help. qatar is absolutely trying to help. i know him very well and they're doing everything they can, very tough situation, but they're absolutely trying to help.

ok, thank you very much. thank you. >> [indiscernible] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2025] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> right this way. thank you, press. >> ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states and the prime minister of the state of israel. pres. trump: thank you very much.

that's a lot of press. congratulations. you bring 'em out. you really bring 'em out. today i'm delighted to welcome israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu back to the white house. it is a wonderful feeling and a wonderful event. we had fantastic talks. and thank you very much with your staff. ry much with your staff. he's the first foreign head of state to visit during our administration. bibi, i want to say it's an honor to have you with us. over the past four years the u.s. and the israeli alliance has been tested more than anytime in history. but the bonds of friendship and affection between the american and israeli people have endured for generations, and they are absolutely unbreakable. they are unbreakable. i am confident that under our leadership the cherished alliance between our two

countries will soon be stronger than ever. we had a great relationship, we had great victories together four years ago. not so many victories over the past four years, however. in my first term, prime minister and i forged a tremendously successful partnership that brought peace and stability to the middle east like it hadn't seen in decades. together, we defeated isis, we ended the disastrous iran nuclear deal, one of the worst deals ever made by the way, and imposed be toughest ever sanctions on the iranian regime. we starved hamas and iran's other terrorist proxies. we starved them like they had never seen before. resources and support disappeared for them. i recognized israel's capital, open to the american embassy in jerusalem, and got it built, by the way. tilted, to -- built it, too.

at a price that nobody has seen for 40 years. we got it built, it's beautiful, all jerusalem stone right from nearby. it is something that is very special. and recognized israeli sovereignty over the goal on heights. something they talked about for 70 years and they were not able to get it. i got it. with the historic abraham accords, something that was really an achievement, i think will become more and more important because we achieved the most significant piece in half a century. i really believe many countries will soon be joining this amazing peace and economic development transaction. it really is a big economic development transaction. i think we're gonna have a lot of people signing up very quickly. unfortunately for four years nobody signed up. nobody did anything for four years except in the negative.

unfortunately the weakness and incompetence of those years, those past four years, the grave damage around the globe that was done, including in the middle east, grave damage all over the globe. the horrors of october 7 would never have happened if i were president. the ukraine and russia disaster would never have happened if i were president. over the past 16 months, israel has endured a sustained aggressive and murderous assault on every front. but they fought back bravely. you see that and you know that. what we have witnessed is an all-out attack on the very existence of a jewish state in the jewish homeland. the israelis have stood strong and united in the face of an enemy that has kidnapped, tortured, raped, and slaughtered in them -- innocent men, women, children, and even little babies. i want to salute the israeli

people from eating this trial with courage and determination and unflinching resolve. they have been strong. in our meetings today, the prime minister and i focused on the future, discussing how we could work together to ensure hamas is eliminated and ultimately restore peace to a very troubled region. it has been troubled, but what has happened in the last four years has not been good. i want to think prime minister netanyahu for working closely with my transition team, the special envoy steve witkoff, who is here somewhere. steve? standup steve, please. what a good job you have done. what a good job you have done. proud of you. done a fantastic job. national security advisor mike waltz. thank you. we have, uh, in addition, marco rubio, who is on the phone right now listening to every single

word that we say. he's gonna be great. pete, congratulations. scott, congratulations, i see you are here. caroline has been doing a great job. she has really probably talked about more than anybody here. she has done a fantastic job and thank you very much, caroline. we are proud of you. we will only be satisfied when all of these problems are solved and we have the team to solve them and that is going to happen. it's gonna happen i think very quickly. i also strongly believe the gaza strip, which has been a symbol of death and destruction for so many decades and so bad for the people anywhere near it, especially those who live there. and frankly, it has been very unlucky. it has been an unlucky place for a long time. being in its presence just has not been good. and it should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people that have really stood there and

fought for it and lived there and died there and lived a miserable existence there. instead, we should go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts, and there are many of them that want to do this, and build various domains that will ultimately be occupied by the 1.8 million palestinians living in gaza, ending the death and destruction and frankly, bad luck. this could be paid for by neighboring countries of great wealth. it could be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, it could be numerous sites or could be one large site. but the people will be able to live in comfort and peace and we will make sure something really spectacular is done. they're gonna have peace. they're not gonna be shot at and killed and destroyed like this civilization of wonderful people has had to endure.

the only reason the palestinians want to go back to gaza is they have no alternative. it is right now a demolition site. this is just a demolition site. virtually every building is down. they are living under fallen concrete that's very dangerous and very precarious. they instead can occupy all of a beautiful area with homes and safety, and they can live out their lives in peace and harmony instead of having to go back and do it again. the u.s. will take over the gaza strip, and we will do a job with it, too. we will own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site. level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area. do a real job. do something different.

you just can't go back. if you go back, it's going to end up the same as it has for 100 years. i am hopeful the cease-fire could be the beginning of a larger and more enduring peace that will end the bloodshed and killing once and for all. with the same goal in mind, my administration has been moving quickly to restore trust in the alliance and rebuild american strength throughout the region. and we really done that. we're a respected nation again. a lot's happened in the last couple weeks. we are a very respected nation again. i ended the last administration 's de facto arms embargo on over $1 billion in military assistance for israel. i am also pleased to announce that this afternoon the united states withdrew from the anti-semitic u.n. human rights council and ended all of the support for the u.n. relief and works agency which funneled the money to hamas and which was very disloyal to humanity. today i also took action to

restore a maximum pressure policy on the iranian regime and we will once again enforce the most aggressive possible sanctions, drive iranian oil exports 20, and diminish the regime's capacity to fund terror throughout the region and throughout the world. we had no threat when i left office. iran was not able to sell oil. nobody was buying oil because i said don't buy it. if you buy it, you're not doing any business with the united states. has below is not being funded, nobody was being funded. there would never have been in october 7. two weeks ago i once again designated the houthis as a terrorist organization. they are trying to destroy world shipping lanes, and that's not gonna happen. over the weekend i ordered air against senior isis leader's hiding in the caves of somalia and took them out.

here in america we have begun the process of deporting foreign terrorist jihadists and hamas sympathizers from our soil, just as we have people that are extremely evil and we are sending them out of our country. they came from jails, they came from mental institutions and insane asylums. we are getting them out at numbers nobody can believe. every single country is taking those people back. they said they would never take them back and they are taking them back and they are taking them back very gladly. i recently signed an executive order combating the vile wave of anti-semitism we have seen in the aftermath of the october 7 attacks. together america and israel will renew the optimism that shined so brightly just four years ago. it was really a bright and beautiful light. we will restore calm and stability to the region, expand prosperity, opportunity and hope

to our nations. and for all people in the middle east including the arab and muslim nations. very important. we want the arab and muslim nations to have peace and have tranquility and have great lives. i'd like to now invite prime minister netanyahu to say a few words, and we will take some questions afterwards. thank you very much. pm netanyahu: thank you, mr. president. i'm honored that you invited me to be the first foreign leader to visit the white house in your second term. this is a testament to your friendship and support to the jewish state and a jewish people. i have said this before, i will say it again. you are the greatest friend israel has ever had in the white house. [applause] and that's why the people of

israel have such enormous respect for you. in your first term, you recognized jerusalem as israel's capital. you moved the american embassy there. you recognized israel's sovereignty over the golan heights. you withdrew from the disastrous iran nuclear deal. i remember when we spoke about it, you said this is the worst deal i have ever seen. i'm elected,, i'm walking out of it, and that is exactly what you did. and it speaks loudly for just common sense, just looking at things and seeing them as they are. and of course you also brokered the groundbreaking abraham accords in which israel made peace with four arab states. did this in four months. nothing happened for a quarter of a century but in four months we were able, working together under your leadership, to have four historic peace accords. and now, now in the first days of your second term, you picked up right where you left off.

your leadership helped bring our hostages home, among them american citizens. you freed up munitions have been withheld from israel. they had been withheld from israel in the midst of a seven front war for our existence. and you just freed it. you ended unjust sanctions against law-abiding israeli citizens. you boldly confronted the scourge of anti-semitism. you stopped funding, as you just said, international organizations like unwra, that support and fund terrorists. and today, you renew the maximum pressure campaign against iran. ladies and gentlemen, all this in just two weeks. can you imagine where we will be in four years? i can. i know you can, mr. president. for our part, we in israel have

been pretty busy, too. since the horrendous october 7 attack, we have been fighting our common enemies and changing the face of the middle east. face of the middle east. on that infamous day, hamas monsters savagely murdered 1200 innocent people including more than 40 americans. they beheaded men. they raped women. they burned babies alive. and they took 251 people hostage to the dungeons of gaza.

well, mr. president, sinwar is gone. we've dez mated hezbollah. we destroyed the armaments and we crippled iran's air offenses. in doing, this we've defeated some of america's worst enemies. we took out terrorists who were wanted for decades for shedding rivers of american blood including the blood of 241 marines murdered in bay root. -- beirut. we've accomplished this with the indomable spirit of our people and the boundless courage of our soldiers. the bible says that the people of israel shall rise like lions, and boy, did we rise. today the roar of the lion of

judah is heard loudly throughout the middle israel has never been stronger. and the iran terror axis has never been weaker. but as we discuss, mr. president, to secure our future and bring peace to our region, we have to finish the job. and gaza, israel has three goals, destroy hames military and governing capabilities, secure the release of all of our hostages and insure that gaza never again poses a threat to israel. i believe, mr. president, that your willingness to puncture conventional thinking, thinking that has failed time and time and time again, your willingness to think outside the box with fresh ideas will help us achieve all these goals. and i've seen you do this many times. you cut to the chase. you see things others refuse to

see. you say things others refuse to say. and then after the jaws drop, people scratch their heads and they say, you know, he's right. and this is the kind of thinking that enable us to have the abraham accords. this is the kind of thinking that brings peace. we also see eye-to-eye on iran. that's the same iran that tried to kill us both. they tried to kill you, mr. president. they tried through their proxies to kill me. we're committed to rolling back iran's aggression in the region and insure that iran never develops a nuclear weapon. mr. president, ladies and gentlemen, israel will end the war by winning the war. israel's victory will be

america's victory. we will not only win the war, working together we will win the peace. with your leadership, mr. president and our partnership, i believe that we will forge a brilliant future for our region and bring our great alliance to even greater heights. thank you. president trump: thank you very much, bi bi. j.d. vance, please, vice president, stand up. he's been doing a good job. he's been working very hard on all things but this in particular. we'll take some questions, please. yes, ma'am, goes, please. go ahead. yeah. go ahead. >> mr. president, can a normization deal with saudi arabia be achieved without the acknowledgement of a palestinian state, that question for you too mr. prime minister? and mr. president given what you said to gaza will the u.n. send

troops to secure the security vacuum? president trump: they want peace in the middle east. it's very simple. we know their leader and their leaders very well. they're wonderful people and they want peace in the middle east. as far as gaza is concerned, we'll do what is necessary. if it's necessary, we'll do that. we're going to take over that peace and we're going to develop it. create thousands and thousands of jobs. and it will be something that the entire middle east can be very proud of. but everybody feels that continuing the same process has gone on forever, over and over again. and then it starts and then the killing starts. and all of the other problems start and, you end up in the same place, and we don't want to see that happen. so by the united states with its ability and state especially the strength we're developing in a fairly short period of time, i would say really since the

election, i think we'll be a keeper of something that is very, very strong, very powerful and very, very good for the area, not just for israel, for entire middle east. very important. and we'll again have thousands of jobs. and there will be jobs for everyone. not for a specific group of people but for everybody. ok. please. prime minister netanyahu: i think peace is going to happen. i think if we had another half a year, it would have already happened. president trump: it's true. many more -- many more nations. prime minister netanyahu: i'm committed to achieving it. i know the president is committed to achieving it. i think the saudi government wants to achieve it. we'll give it a good shot and i think we'll success. president trump: go ahead.

reporter: [inaudible] president trump: i can't tell you whether or not the cease-fire will hold. we've done a very masterful job. we weren't helped very much by the biden administration, i can tell you that. but we've gotten quite a few hostages out. we're going to get more out. but we're dealing with very complex people. and we are going to see whether or not it will hold. we certainly want to see them come out. they've come out very damaged people. but they're going to get better and they're going to be strong and they're going to have a good life and we hope to have as many as people. whether it holds -- we hold it holds.

-- hope it holds. we hope it holds. prime minister netanyahu: i think we will investigate what happened. what were the cause of the failure by an independent commission that will be accepted by the majority of the people. we don't want it accepted by one half of the people and not the other. i think we should have it. and we should find out exactly what happened. i'm insisting on it. and believe me, it will surprise a lot of people when it happens. president trump: kelly, go ahead. kelly: you are talking about -- thank you, mr. president and mr. you are talking about the united states taking over a sovereign territory. what authority would allow you to do that? are you talking about a permanent occupation there, redevelopment? and mr. prime minister do you see this idea as a way to expand the boundaries of israel and to

have a longer peace even though the israeli people know how important that land is to you and your citizens just as the pace is inherited by the palestinians as well? president trump: i do see a long-term ownership position. and i see it bringing great stability to that part of the middle east and maybe the entire middle east, and everybody i've spoken to, this is not a decision made lightly everybody loves the idea of the united states owning that piece of land developing that land, creating thousands of jobs, something that will be magnificent in a magnificent area that all they see is death and destruction and rubble and demolished buildings falling all over. just a terrible sight. i've studied it. i've studied it very closely over a lot of months. and i've seen it from every different angle.

and it's a very, very dangerous place to be and it's -- place to be and it's only going to be worse. i'm talking about from the highest level of leadership gotten tremendous praise if the united states can help to bring stability and piece in the middle east, we'll do that. bibi? prime minister netanyahu: i mentioned again tonight our three goals. the third goal is to make sure that gaza never pose as threat to israel again. president trump is taking it to a much higher level. he see as different -- he sees a different future for that piece of land that has been the focus of so much terrorism, so many attacks against us, so many -- so many trials and so many tribulation. he has a different idea. and i think it's worth paying attention to. this we're talking about it --

attention to this. we're talking about it. he's exploring it with his people and his staff. i think it's something that could change history and it's worthwhile pursuing this. president trump: go ahead. go ahead. reporter: can you hear me? president trump: yeah. reporter: before rebuilding gaza again, all the options and one of them is to have american soldiers -- how will you insure that you will get all the hostages and letting them rebuild? >> we're workinga hard to get all the hostages. the word is all and we're working very hard. so far it's been moving along fairly rapidly, pretty much on schedule. i would love to have them out all one time. but we're taking them out. tomorrow, many are being released and over the days more. and we're going to a phase two. but we'd like to have all of the hostages. and if -- if we don't, it will

just make us somewhat more violent, i will tell you that because they would have broken their word. are whitcoff and his entire group have been working 24 hours around the clock and they want them out and promise have been made to them. and we'll see whether or not those promises will be kept. but we want all the hostages, that's right. reporter: how much time do you think it will take? reporter: mr. president do you support israeli sovereignty in sumaria area which many believe is the biblical homeland of the jewish people? president trump: we're discussing that with your representative and people do like the idea. but we haven't take an position on it yet. but we will be -- we'll be making an announcement probably on that very specific topic over the next four weeks. go ahead, please. please. reporter: thank you so much, mr.

you just said that you think all -- all the palestinians should be relocated to other countries. does that mean that you do not support a three-state solution? president trump clint doesn't mean about a one state or a two state or any other state. it means that we want to give people a chance at life. they have never had a chance at life because the gaza strip has been a hell hole for people living there. it's been horrible. hamas has made it so bad, so bad, so dangerous, so unfair to people and by doing what i'm recommending that we do, it's a very strong recommendation, and by doing that we think we will bring great peace to in this area. i have to stress this is not for israel. this is for everybody in the middle east. arabs, muslims. this is where they can partake

in terms of jobs and living and all of the other benefits. i think it's very important. it just doesn't work the other way. you can't keep trying. they just -- has been going along for so many decades you can't even count. you just can't keep doing. you have to learn from history. you can't keep going to the same mistake over and over again. gaza is a hell hole right now. it was before the bombing started frankly and we're going to give people a chance to live in a beautiful community that's safe and secure and i think you're going to see -- a tremendous outflowing of support. i can tell you i spoke to other leaders in the middle east and they love the idea. they said it would bring stable. and what -- bring stability. and what we need is stability. sir? thank you. reporter: 'em posing sanctions despite the move in the senate and please the question for the prime minister as well.

the president has been very clear about his desire to achieve a deal with saudi arabia. how do you settle this if israel is required to renew the war against hamas in the future? president trump: go ahead, bibi. prime minister netanyahu: i think as we defeated isis because we can't leave hamas there because hamas will continue the battle to destroy israel in the temporary cease-fire, one of their leaders comes out. you know what he says, we're going to do october 7 again. except we'll do it bigger. so obviously, you can't talk about peace neither with hamas or in the middle east if this toxic, murderous organization is left standing any more than you can make peace in europe after world war ii if the nazi regime

was left standing. you want a different future, you have to knockout the people who want to destroy you and destroy peace. that's what we're going to do. i think that will also bring -- usher in actually the peace with saudi arabia and with others. and i think there will be others too. president trump: yes, ma'am. go ahead. reporter: high expectation from you. do you have any plan to change the afghanistan situation? are you able to recognize taliban because i'm an afghan journalist? what's your future plan for the afghan people? president trump: i have a little hard time understanding you. where are you from? reporter: [inaudible] president trump: i can't understand a word you're saying. the only thing i can say is good luck. live in peace. go ahead. please.

it's ok. yeah, please. reporter: you said it was tough for you to implement these sanctions on iran. you did indicate that you were willing to negotiate for them. what would that look like? and are you in conversations with them? president trump: i hated doing it. i want iran to be peaceful and successful. i hated doing it. i did that once before. we brought them to a level where they weren't able to give any money. they had no money. they were essentially broke. they had no money for he's hezbollah, hamas or any form of terror, the 28 -- if you call it the 28 sites of terror. they had no money for any of it. they had to do their own and focus on their own well-being. i hated to do it then. and i hate to do it just as much now. and i say this and i say this to iran who is listening very

intently. i would love to be able to make a great deal, a deal where you can get on with your lives and you'll do wonderfully, incredible people, industrious, just an unbelievable group of people in iran. i know them well. i have many friends from iran, many friends that are americans from iran and they're very proud of iran. but i hated to do it just so you understand. and i hope we're going to be able to do something so it doesn't end up in a very tas troughic situation. -- -- in a very catastrophic situation. i really want to see peace. they cannot have a nuclear weapon. it's very simple. i'm not putting restriction. they cannot have -- one thing, they cannot have a nuclear went. if i think they're going to have a nuclear weapon despite whey just said i think it's going to

be very unfortunate for them. if they can convince us that they -- it's very easy to do, i think they're going to have an unbelievable future. yeah, please, sir, go ahead. reporter: you just laid out your new plan for gaza. president trump: yes. reporter: can you lay down your plan for ukraine. you consider yourself a strong leader. you blame your predecessor for letting russia to take over ukraine will you demand from putin to get out of ukraine from sovereign territory of ukraine? president trump: we're dealing right now on the subject. i don't want to spend a lot of time because we're here for another reason. we're having constructive talks with ukraine. we're talking to the russians and the ukrainian leadership. it should have never happened. i get reports every week.

the number of soldiers, mostly soldiers now. the cities have been largely demolished. you talk about a -- a very sad tight -- sight to see. many of these cities look as bad as gaza and worse. i want to site end. i want to see it end for one reason, the life of young people being absolutely obliterated on one side. it's very flat land. and the only thing that's going to stop, a bullet is a human body. in this case usually soldiers. and the numbers are staggering when you hear the real numbers in ukraine, what the numbers are. and this doesn't include the cities that have been demolished and it's all of the people that were killed. so i want to see it stopped. we're having very good talks and i think we're going to get it. i think something will be hopefully dramatically -- it

will -- lit rise above everything you have to -- you can't let this continue. you can't -- this is an absolute slaughter that is taking place on the beautiful farmlands of ukraine. and we have to stop it. we can't let this continue. it's -- it's a human -- it's a human -- it is -- it is a human tragedy and we're going to try very hard to stop it. yeah, please, go ahead sir. reporter: mr. president, thank you very much. mr. president, what's your view about the regional changes you want to do? and the other question, what's your view -- and all the much more military stance? prime minister netanyahu: i think the president just said i think is the pivot of everything we're talking about. he said iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. and we fully agree with that if

this goal can be achieved by a maximum pressure campaign, so be it. but i think the most porn thing is to focus on the goal, which the president just did. and i fully agree with him. president trump: i said it and he said it very well. it's -- it's a campaign of pressure to see if we can get something done. he doesn't want to do what some people think will automatically happen because they're very difficult people to deal with as you know. but if we could solve this problem without warfare, without all of the things that you've been witnessing over the last number of years, it will be -- i think it will be a tremendous thing. go ahead, please. reporter: do you have any plans to visit israel? president trump: to visit where? i love israel and i'll visit

gaza and saudi arabia and other place all over the middle east. the middle east san incredible place. so vibrant so -- it's just one of the really beautiful places, with great people. and i think a lot of bad leadership has taken place in the middle east that's allowed this to hawaii it's just terrible -- to this place. it includes americans. but yeah, i'll be visiting a lot of different places in the middle east. i've been invited everywhere. but i will be visiting some. yeah. ok. let's go. kaitlin, go ahead. reporter: thank you so much, president trump. president trump: sate. reporter: just about saying gazans going to another country, where are you suggesting they

should go? are you saying should they return after it's rebuilt? who you do envision living there? president trump: i envision the world living there. the world's people. i think you'll make that into an international unbelievable place. i think the potential and the gaza strip sun believable. and -- strip is unbelievable. and i think representatives from all over the world will be there and they'll -- palestinians also. palestinians will live there. many people will live there. but they've tried the other and they've tried it for decades and decades and decades. it's not going to do work. it did not work. it will never work. and you have to learn from history. history has, you know, you just can't let it repeating itself. we have an opportunity to do something that's phenomenal. i don't want to be cute or a wise guy, but the rivera -- riviera of the middle east.

this could be so magnificent. but more importantly than that that the people that were destroyed cowdery in a much better situation -- destroyed could be in a much better situation. we'll make sure that it's done world class. it will be wonderful for the people. palestinians -- palestinians mostly we're talking about. and i have a feeling that despite them saying no, i have a feeling that the king in jordan and that the general president, but that the general and egypt will open their hearts and will give us the kind of land that we need to get this done and people could live in harmony and in peace. thank you all very much. thank you. thank you very much. thank you.

>> members of the senate finance committee discuss the nomition of robert f kennedy to be health and human services secretarynd vote to enhance his nomination. that's next. cretary of state marco rubio talking about the funding phrase of u. foreign aid. later, president trump senior advisor on trade and manufacturing discussing the trump administration's threat of tariffs against mexico and canada. >> nbc news and others are reporting that the trump administrati is preparing an executive order for president trump that would alish the education department. the article goes on to note that the president must get congressional approval for such a move. during mr. tru's campaign he promised to get rid of the federal department and posted a video message in 2023 that said, "one other thing i will be doing very early in the administration

is closing up the department of education in washington, c. and sending all education and education work and needs back to the states. the department of education was created in 1970 nine by president jimmy cter." wednesday, a look at ways to increase government efficiency and reduce unnecessary spending with iowa governor kim reynolds and citizens against government waste president thomas testifying the house oversight and government conform committee. watch it live at 10:00 a of eastern on c-span three, c-span now are free mobile app and online at c-span.org. >> the senate finance committee voted along party lines to advance nomination of robert f. kennedy, jr. to bring than that -- be the next secretary of health and human services. the vote advances mr. kennedy's nomination to the senate floor setting up a final confirmation vote as soon as next week.