Jewish Political Briefing: Monday, Dec. 29, 2025
By Donald H. Harrison in San Diego
For the sixth time this year, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump had a face-to-face meeting on Monday – this time at the President’s Mar-A-Lago home and resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
The Israeli delegation met for lunch with an American one at the same marble table that on Sunday found Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sitting with his entourage across from Trump. That two Jewish leaders – Zelenskyy and Netanyahu – had back-to-back meetings with President Trump, selected Cabinet officials and White House aides, and with U.S. peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were remarkable occasions, sure to be mentioned in Jewish history books of the future.
Trump and Netanyahu, dressed almost alike in dark suits with red ties, met with the American and international media before and after their meeting. Topics covered at the prior press conference included Phase Two of the Gaza ceasefire agreement; reports that Iran once again is developing its missile and nuclear programs; Turkiye’s possible involvement in Gaza’s reconstruction; Syrian-Israeli relations; and Netanyahu’s request to Israel’s President Isaac Herzog for a pardon amid his ongoing trial for alleged corruption.
Netanyahu, showing deference to his host, stood mostly silently by Trump’s side as the U.S. President fielded reporters’ questions.
Phase Two of the Gaza ceasefire would establish a Board of Peace headed by President Trump and including the yet-to-be-announced leaders of various countries, while an International Stabilization Force would be staffed by a variety of militaries. Day-to-day business of Gaza would be conducted by technocrats from around the world.
–Trump declared that before Phase Two can be implemented, Hamas must disarm.
–About Iran’s reported rearmament, Trump said, “If Iran wants to build up, we’ll knock the hell out them.”
–About Turkiye’s possible involvement in Gaza’s governance, Trump responded that “Turkiye has been great,” adding that he has no problem with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan but that Prime Minister Netanyahu may have a different opinion.
–About Israeli-Syrian relations, Trump said he hoped the two neighboring nations will get along.
–About Netanyahu’s prospective pardon, Trump said Herzog told him that it was in the works. About an hour later, Herzog denied this, saying he will follow prescribed procedures before deciding whether Israel’s Prime Minister should be pardoned.
Trump commented about Netanyahu: “He has taken Israel through a very dangerous period of trauma. Israel with other people might not exist right now, if you want to know the truth. That’s a pretty big statement, but it’s true.”
Following their lunch together with their respective delegations, the Israeli and American leaders again answered questions from the media.
–On the Gaza ceasefire, Trump said, “Israel’s lived up to the plan 100 percent.” He said, “I’m concerned about what other people are doing or maybe aren’t doing.” In answer to another question, the President said that Hamas has a “very short period to disarm,” and there would be “hell to pay” if it doesn’t. Other countries who want the ceasefire to proceed to Phase Two “will go in and wipe them out.” He didn’t identify which countries those are.
–On Iran, Trump said if reports of the nuclear and ballistic missile buildups are confirmed, “look there will be consequences. Consequences will be very powerful, maybe more powerful than last time” when the U.S. bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities.
–On the announcement a few days ago that 19 more Israeli settlements had been approved on the West Bank, Trump said the U.S. and Israel disagree on that issue and are not on the same page. “We have had a discussion, big discussion for a long time, on the West Bank. And I wouldn’t say we agree on the West Bank one hundred percent.” He predicted that Netanyahu “will do the right thing.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu in the post-meeting press conference said “”President Trump has broken so many conventions to the surprise of people, and then they figure out, ‘Oh, well, maybe you know, he was right after all.’ So, we decided to break a convention too, or create a new one, and that is to award the Israel Prize, which, in almost our 80 years, we’ve never awarded it to a non-Israeli, and we’re going to award it this year to President Trump. This was announced formally over lunch by our minister of education [Yoav Kisch], who’s responsible for the Israel Prize. It’s going to be awarded to President Donald J. Trump for his tremendous contributions to Israel and the Jewish people.”
Meanwhile, Zelensky announced that Trump had promised a 15-year security agreement with Ukraine, similar to its security agreement with NATO. The NATO agreement requires the U.S. to come to NATO’s defense if NATO is attacked.
In a telephone conversation with Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin informed Trump that Ukrainian drones had attacked his residence. Trump said the report made him very angry, but he conceded that it might not be true. Zelenskyy said Putin’s story was fictitious.
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Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World.