WATCH: Reacting to the Trump and Netanyahu Meeting in DC, Word on the Street
“Following the White House meeting and press conference between Trump and Netanyahu, J Street’s Jeremy Ben-Ami, Ilan Goldenberg, Adina Vogel Ayalon, and Frank Lowenstein gathered to offer their reactions and analysis.”
What to Make of Trump’s New Peace Plan, Word on the Street
Ilan Goldenberg writes, “My bottom line is that this appears to be a promising proposal. It includes both an immediate end to the war and a framework for the day after, something many of us have been arguing for nearly two years. That said, many pitfalls remain.”
A Reality Check on Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan, Vox
“’The biggest danger is that both Israel and Hamas say ‘yes’ in principle, but then insist on negotiating every detail, dragging things out for months while the war continues,’ said Ilan Goldenberg, a former Biden administration Mideast adviser, now with the advocacy group J Street. The priority for Trump, Goldenberg said, was to ‘hold everyone’s feet to the fire’ to bring the core tenets of the plan — hostage release, military withdrawal, resumption of aid — to fruition before they get bogged down in debates over Gaza’s future governance.”
When Did Donald Trump Become a Liberal Zionist?, The Forward
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just agreed to President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan — which almost reads as if it was written by J Street, the liberal Zionist lobbying group that has long pushed for a peaceful two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
Jewish Groups Rally Behind Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan, Call for Pressure on Hamas To Accept, e Jewish Philanthropy
“On the political left, officials from the J Street advocacy group called the plan ‘really good,’ with its policy chief, Ilan Goldenberg, noting that it bears similarities to similar proposals that were put forward early in the war by the Biden administration […] However, J Street officials expressed skepticism at the prospect of Hamas agreeing to disarm and of the Israeli government’s willingness to see through the secondary aspects of the agreement.”
Trump Touts Israel’s Approval of His Gaza Peace Plan. Hamas Has Not Agreed., Politico
“Ilan Goldenberg, a former Biden administration official who dealt with the Gaza war and is now a senior official with the left-leaning pro-Israel group J Street, noted that an apology from Netanyahu could hurt him politically with his base. ‘It goes to show you what you can do to Bibi Netanyahu when you have some leverage.’”
Trump, Israel Back Plan To End War in Gaza, but Hamas’s Response Is Unclear, NPR
“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed support for President Trump’s new plan to end the conflict in Gaza. Now all eyes are on Hamas and whether they’ll agree to the proposal.”
Leaders in Middle East and Europe Welcome Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan, BBC
“European and Middle Eastern leaders have welcomed a US peace plan for Gaza, as President Donald Trump warned Hamas to accept it.”
Hamas Leaning Toward Accepting Trump’s Gaza Ceasefire Plan Quickly, Source Tells CBS News, CBS
“Hamas and other Palestinian factions are leaning toward accepting President Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza, and they will present the group’s response to Egyptian and Qatari mediators on Wednesday, a source close to the process told CBS News on Tuesday.”
Qatar To Continue Mediation After Israel Expresses Regret Over Strike on Hamas, BBC
“Qatar’s prime minister has said it is ready to continue its efforts to end the war in Gaza, after his Israeli counterpart expressed regret over an air strike that targeted Hamas leaders in Doha earlier this month.”
Netanyahu Secured Key Edits to Trump Plan, Slowing and Limiting IDF’s Gaza Withdrawal, The Times of Israel
“The premier did, in fact, have a lot to celebrate, as he managed to secure significant 11th-hour changes to the Trump proposal regarding the scope and nature of the IDF’s withdrawal from Gaza, along with the disarmament of Hamas.”
Donald Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan Trashed by Israel Minister, Newsweek
“Israel’s far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, blasted U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza in a scathing statement, calling it a ‘historic missed opportunity’ and ‘pure insanity.’”
Don’t Let Netanyahu Nix Your Gaza Deal, President Trump, Haaretz
The Haaretz Editorial Board writes, “Even though Hamas has not yet given its consent, Trump must not assume that Netanyahu’s assent is carved in stone. The concessions Israel is required to make according to the plan may cost Netanyahu his government, and Netanyahu has already proven how easily he can be pressured or extorted.”