Trump pans leaders who ‘foolishly recognized’ Palestine, predicts expansion of Abraham Accords

US President Donald Trump critiques leaders who have “foolishly recognized a Palestinian state.”

“Good people, but I think they’re doing that because they’re really tired of what’s been going on for so many decades,” he surmises.

“Let’s not forget how we got here,” says Trump. “Hamas was elected by the Palestinian people. Israel withdrew from Gaza, thinking they would live in peace,” he continues, mixing up the order of the two events.

“They say, you take it, this is our contribution to peace, but that didn’t work out,” Trump continues. “It was the opposite of peace. They pulled away. They let then have it, and I never forgot that, because I said, that doesn’t sound like a good deal to me. As a real estate person, they gave up the ocean. I said, who would do this deal.”

“They gave up the most magnificent piece of land in the Middle East, and they said, all we want to do now is have peace, and that request was not honored.”

“Instead of building a better life for the Palestinians,” Hamas diverted resources meant for the Palestinians into “over 400 miles of tunnels and terror infrastructure, rocket production facilities, and their military command posts and launch sites in hospitals, schools, and mosques,” Trump continues. “So if you went after them, you wouldn’t even realize, and you’d end up knocking out a hospital or a school or a mosque.”

“A terrible way to have to fight.”

Trump says that there are “many, many” Palestinians who want to live in peace. He challenges the Palestinians “to take responsibility for their destiny… to fully condemn and prohibit terrorism and earn their way to a brighter future. They don’t want the life that they’ve had. They’ve had a rough life with Hamas.”

If the Palestinian Authority does not carry out reforms, it will have only itself to blame, says Trump.

Trump says his plan creates the conditions for “durable Israeli security and Palestinian success.”

“There shouldn’t have to be a shot fired, maybe for eternity,” he says. “Wouldn’t that be nice.”

In a suddenly jovial mood, Trump begins pronouncing “Abraham” in the Abraham Accords close to the Hebrew name, saying, “it’s so much nicer. So much more elegant.”

He says his predecessor Joe Biden “didn’t even know what the hell they were” and did not expand them.

Trump predicts that the accords will be expanded and “packed,” and that maybe Iran could join someday. “We expect, we hope, that we’re going to get along with Iran. I think they’re going to be open to it.”

Trump lists his achievements that make him Israel’s best friend ever in the White House, continuing to blast Biden as clueless.

He says that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a “long, strong talk” and that Netanyahu understands that “it’s time.”

Many countries have gained respect for Israel “for the way they fight,” Trump says, adding that he also has more respect for Israel for that reason.

Those who make peace with Israel thrive, says Trump, while those who try to destroy Israel “haven’t done well.”

“Israel is not going anywhere,” Trump says, adding that they are going to coexist with Lebanon, Syria, and Saudi Arabia.