Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he “rejects” the Board of Peace Gaza disarmament roadmap, saying that he has no issue with standing up to pressure from US President Donald Trump to accept the terms.
“I want to clarify here,” Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting. “Israel rejects the 15-point document.”
“I heard people saying, ‘You didn’t say so,’” Netanyahu told his cabinet Sunday, referring to calls by senior Israeli officials and ministers to openly declare that he will not accept the terms of the plan, which would see the Israeli occupation forces begin to pull back from Gazan territory.
“So here I am saying it again: Israel rejects the 15-point document.”
“The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed. And when I say Hamas must be disarmed, I mean the heavy weapons, the less-heavy weapons, all weapons. And we are talking about genuine disarmament, not a fictitious one,” the Israeli PM stated, referring to Israeli occupation forces.
He also said that Hamas Palestinian resisance group has been effectively deterred from attacking Israel or its forces, saying: “It may attack, but why have long weeks gone by without it attacking us? Because it knows what a powerful blow we will inflict on it if it does.”
The US-backed Board of Peace is trying to move forward with its roadmap for postwar Gaza, which Hamas has accepted, while calling on the US and other mediators to pressure ‘Israel’ into agreement.
“Unafraid to Push Back against Trump”
Netanyahu also said that while he values Trump, he is unafraid to push back against him when circumstances necessitate it.
“I have great appreciation for President Trump,” he told his cabinet. “He is a great friend of ours in the White House. I greatly appreciate the historic partnership with the United States against Iran’s attempts to acquire nuclear weapons. And I want to emphasize again: With an agreement or without an agreement, as long as I am prime minister, Iran will not possess nuclear weapons.”
“Unlike all those who preach to us, we are doing what needs to be done for Israel’s security, and we can and know how to stand our ground even against our very best friends when necessary,” he said.
Source: Al-Manar English Website