Vice President JD Vance declared Wednesday that, ‘these are days of destiny,’ as he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to build on the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.
‘We have a very, very tough task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas but rebuild Gaza to make life better for the people in Gaza, but also to ensure that Hamas is no longer a threat to our friends in Israel,’ Vance said in Jerusalem, speaking alongside Netanyahu.
‘That’s not easy. I think the prime minster knows that as well as anybody. But it’s something that we’re committed to in the Trump administration,’ Vance continued. ‘And I think that we’ve, even in the past 24 hours, had a lot of good conversations with our friends in the Israeli government, but also, frankly with our friends in the Arab world who are stepping up and volunteering to play a very positive role in this.’
‘As the prime minister said, these are days of destiny, and we’re very excited to sit down and work together on the Gaza peace plan,’ Vance added.
Netanyahu told reporters that Israel has an unmatched alliance and partnership with the U.S. that is generating opportunities for security and the expansion of peace in the Middle East.
Vance also met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday, telling reporters afterward, ‘We’re here to talk about how to ensure that the peace agreement that started about a week ago sticks, that we move into phase two, into phase three with success.’
The peace deal included the release of hostages being held by Hamas.
‘As the president said, there will be torments along the way. It will be difficult, but I feel very optimistic based on my conversation with our Israeli friends and also with our Gulf Arab friends, that it’s possible that we actually can make peace stick, and that we can create the kind of environment where our Gulf Arab friends and our Israeli friends can build a better Middle East for everybody,’ Vance added. ‘So that is the goal of the administration. We think that it’s in the best interest of the United States. We also think that it’s in the best interest of everybody who lives here.’
Herzog said, ‘I truly believe that the fact you’re here is another brick in building the future for peace.’
‘We all are grateful to President Donald Trump for his steadfast insistence on moving forward. We must move forward,’ Herzog continued. ‘We must offer hope for the region, for Israel, the Palestinians, our neighbors, and for the future of our children.’