Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, a close aide of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, held talks with President-elect Donald Trump and Jared Kushner at Mar-a-Lago this week, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday.
The report, which cited unnamed Israeli officials, said Dermer’s message was that Israel was looking to give Trump an early foreign policy win by reaching a ceasefire by January. However, Israel’s conditions for a ceasefire include demands that are a non-starter for Hezbollah and the Lebanese government.
“There is an understanding that Israel would gift something to Trump … that in January, there will be an understanding about Lebanon,” an Israeli official told the Post. Another Israeli official said that there were also plans in place to ramp up Israeli ground operations in Lebanon if a deal isn’t reached.
The inclusion of Kushner in the talks with Dermer and Trump signals he may have a role in the incoming administration, even though reports have said he ruled out the idea. The Post report said that Kushner could play an advisory role if there are negotiations to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
When Israel escalated its war in Lebanon in September, Kushner expressed strong support for the offensive, calling for Israel to “finish the job.”
“September 27th is the most important day in the Middle East since the Abraham Accords breakthrough,” Kushner wrote on X, referring to the day Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. “Anyone who has been calling for a ceasefire in the North is wrong. There is no going back for Israel. They cannot afford now to not finish the job and completely dismantle the arsenal that has been aimed at them. They will never get another chance.”
Trump also expressed support for the Israeli offensive in an October phone call with Netanyahu. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who was on the call, said Trump “expressed his awe for their military operations and what they have done. He told them, do what you have to do to defend yourself.”
A Lebanon ceasefire deal that’s been floated by the US would involve Hezbollah moving north of the Litani River and the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers taking their place in southern Lebanon. But Israel wants its military to have freedom of action in southern Lebanon so it could enforce the deal, which is a non-starter for Hezbollah and the Lebanese government.
“Is there any sane person who believes that we will agree to a settlement or a solution that serves Israel’s interests at the expense of Lebanon’s interests and sovereignty?” Nabih Berri, the speaker of Lebanon’s parliament, said this week.
A person close to Hezbollah told the Post that Israel must be prohibited “from conducting operations within Lebanese territory” as part of any ceasefire deal.
While Israel has been pounding Lebanon with airstrikes, killing thousands, including many civilians, Hezbollah fighters have been able to put up a fight against the invading Israeli troops in the south. Since September 30, at least 47 Israeli soldiers have been killed fighting Hezbollah on the ground.
“Is there any sane person who believes that we will agree to a settlement or a solution that serves Israel’s interests at the expense of Lebanon’s interests and sovereignty?” Nabih Berri, the speaker of Lebanon’s parliament, said this week.
The evil cabal.
Kushner could play an advisory role if there are negotiations to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
It's amusing that the press corpse still pretends that the Saudis have any actual intention of "normalizing relations" with Israel, they've been holding that carrot out to US administrations since at least Carter's time in office and yanking it away every time Israel commits another atrocity.
As far as I know Israel and Saudi Arabia have never fired shots at each other. Someday the two will establish relationships, it is just a matter of time. They were getting close in 2023 until Sinwar and friends decided to sacrifice 40,000 Palestinians to prevent the normalization from happening.
And it will be the same bullshit relationship they have with all the others. Based on bribes. And once more, it was Israel that decided on genocide as a response to their allowing Hamas to attack. Plus, that 40,000 is a fraction of how many have actually died by either military operations or the famine that Israel deliberately brought about.
When you build your foreign policy on bullshit, bribes, and gen@cide, NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS. People who still have HOPE are emotionally attached to their vote for Trump and don't want to admit they were fooled again.
Israel allowing Hamas to attack?
Where did you get that from? Is that a fact or your personal opinion?
I'm curious, what are your thoughts on Russia annexing Ukraine?
Is this something you support?
If so, how is Israel any different?
I'm very confused with this blog.
Let Israel annex Palestine. Any country should be allowed to annex any other country by force. Right?
If Russia can do it, so Israel.
We have to be consistent, don't we?
I guess you don't read anything that might sway your opinion. There have been reports of Israel having prior knowledge of the Hamas attack from the very beginning. From Egypt's warning to Israel's own IDF troops reporting it to headquarters and recently with the revelations that Netanyahu knew himself. If you read antiwar.com you should realize that.
I want Russia to leave Ukrainian territory, and I want NATO (US) off of Russia's borders.
I take it that Russia is willing to negotiate how the territories it has taken in Ukraine could be managed IF Ukraine's neutrality can be certain. Putin's earlier response (a few months back) stated Ukraine should militarily withdraw from those territories, but not that Russia would hold them (which has been assumed). But this raises the question of Crimea, which surely Russia is not about to give up. Perhaps holding on to the oblasts should be decided by another referendum? (In the view of Russia, that is.)
Oh, that’s right, there is no history or context for any action that any Palestinian could ever take, since you regard them as mindless animals. There’s something seriously wrong with Zionists.
Ben Gvir’s assault and desecration of the Al Aqsa Mosque had already derailed any negotiations.
The starving children might not develop fully. They might well become “mindless animals” as a result.
That would be true if both rotten evil regimes survive this crisis, which is 99.99% certain that they won't.
Israel only played "kissy-face" with SA just for the time being that SA and Iran were "enemies": a temporary convenience. Plus, like most of Israel's "friends" in the ME they were either bribed, threatened or both to be friends—and that friendship does not extend to the people.
Bin Salman owes Trump and Israel big deal. It's unclear what will happen at this stage but both Saudia and Egypt signed to this genocide and the associated US imperial project for the region with the previous Trump administration in 2017.
"A person close to Hezbollah…"
Bullshit. Hezbollah has been very clear: no ceasefire without a ceasefire in Gaza. And that ain't gonna happen.
This is just more Netanyahu PR and Trump and Kushner are stupid enough to buy into it. Meanwhile the neocons continue to run the show – and the Iran war hawks will run the show after Trump is inaugurated.
I concur 100%. Hizbollah did not just go to war in support of Gaza, as did Yemen and the Iraqi Resistance, but has also recently stated that there are no negotiations and that it will all be decided on the battlefield. They don't seem to consider any hope of ceasefire in Gaza anymore after the assassinations of Haniyeh and Sinwar and since the intentional famine was intensified in North Gaza. Furthermore: they're bombing Israel with unprecedented violence.
A person close to Hezbollah told the Post that Israel must be prohibited “from conducting operations within Lebanese territory” as part of any ceasefire deal.
If Israel manages to kick out the Palestinians, it might no longer be motivated to fight Hezbollah. Maybe peace arises.
“Is there any sane person who believes that we will agree to a settlement or a solution that serves Israel’s interests at the expense of Lebanon’s interests and sovereignty?” Nabih Berri, the speaker of Lebanon’s parliament, said this week.
We could say the same about Rump's claim that he's got the perfect peace plan for Ukraine, no one sane believes that a "peace plan" which addresses none of Russia's concerns and only serves to allow Ukraine to rearm and build trenches.
What’s sad is that Ukraine will take in foreigners to fight for it if it continues, becoming a new nation in the process. They fight in the name of nationalism, and it will just destroy their nation.
Switzerland should be their model.
“do what you have to do to defend yourself.” Several comments made by President elect Trump strongly indicate he will stop that genocide, this is why 100 million didn’t materialize.
There won't be any "Lebanon ceasefire" if there's not first peace and freedom back to Gaza, that should be clear to all. And it's not just Lebanon but Yemen, Iraq, Syria of course (constantly attacked by Israel but containing itself… so far) and Iran and the US bases of the Persian Gulf (which may get in the conflagration at any moment). And it's not just Israel bombing Lebanon (as western media reports) but also Hizbollah especially endlessly bombing Israel, the strategic North (Gallilee, the key port of Haifa included) all the time but punctually also "Central Israel" (Tel Aviv, etc.): for example yesterday it was reported that core area of Zionist government and military: the Kirya, located in Tel Aviv, was heavily bombed.
Netanyahu and his ministers are also in constant hiding and with hyper-secret schedules for fear of targetted assassination, which has already been attempted several times.
In any case the political resuscitation of Kushner would be yet another sign of Trump no being willing to achieve peace, let alone justice, in West Asia, and thus that the conflict and genocide will almost certainly escalate to the worst extremes. Extremes for which two stratobombers are definitely not disuassive enough. The USA has lost its military projection edge.
Kushner is a War Criminal, his advocating to build on Palestinian Land, only enables more War Crimes against them. Trump must be mentally ill to associate with these Zionist Genocidal THUGS. I hope all the atrocities they have committed against unarmed civilians, comes back to bite them on the ass.
“Friendly” fire @ butcher bibi’s house?
https://x.com/MenchOsint/status/1857877387138007510 https://x.com/MenchOsint/status/1857883674647433518