Despite mounting international criticism on Israel over its invasion of Gaza, President Trump will not join his European friends in doing so. The president, according to two anonymous sources familiar with his thinking, will also not make a huge fuss over the European initiatives.
One of the sources stated that Trump, who is now on a state visit to the UK, “doesn’t care much” about European attempts to isolate the Israeli government.
On Wednesday, EU leaders announced a plan to impose new tariffs on €5.8 billion of Israeli exports to the EU and sanctions on two key members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. These efforts, which further highlight the daylight between the White House and European allies on Israel’s war in Gaza and beyond, were further expanded.
“Trump doesn’t necessarily agree with it,” the source said, going on. “However, he will not be unduly concerned by Europe’s actions, particularly when they are largely symbolic.”
Prior to member nations’ approval, the extra levies cannot be implemented. An official from France, speaking ahead of Monday’s event at the UN General Assembly, predicted that the announcement—which will be made by France and at least five other countries—will “create a pressure” by showing a broad international commitment to a two-state solution. However, the insider conceded that it might not be enough to convince Netanyahu to terminate the conflict.
In spite of his grievances with Netanyahu over the assault on Hamas officials in Qatar last week, Trump is not going to join the growing number of democratic world leaders who support Palestinian statehood or hail a new UN report that claims Israel is perpetrating genocide in Gaza.
The idea that Trump is bewildered by Europe’s recent actions was not disputed by a White House official. Also, the official brought up the president’s prior remarks last summer, when the leaders of France, Britain, and Canada announced their official recognition of Palestine, claiming that doing so was “rewarding Hamas.” “I don’t think they should be rewarded,” Trump continued.
The Trump administration has provided substantial support to the Netanyahu government’s position, even as Europeans seek methods to recognize Palestinian statehood. Among the eighty Palestinian delegates whose visa applications were rejected by the US Department of State was that of Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, who had planned to attend next week’s UN General Assembly in New York City. According to the White House, Palestinian leaders have sabotaged the Gaza talks by pursuing UN recognition and appealing to international criminal courts that have found Israel guilty of war crimes.
Trump threatened Hamas in response to a question on Israel’s recent attack on Gaza, which was asked Monday before he left for London. The old human shield arrangement is apparently being considered by Hamas. And Trump warned them that they would face serious consequences if they did. “They’re gonna have a rough time of it.”
The acceptance of Palestinian statehood by European partners has been opposed by some top government officials.
“European nations going and having this push for a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state…destroyed negotiations,” spoke Mike Huckabee, Trump’s ambassador to Israel, in a Tuesday speech in Jerusalem.
Additionally, in a Sunday interview with Fox News Channel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the effort to acknowledge a Palestinian state was “largely symbolic.” Unfortunately, he did point out the “real-world implications in terms of making it harder to achieve peace.”