Netanyahu Predicts PA Return to Negotiations If Trump Gets Re-elected

Palestinian youths in clashes with Israeli soldiers in Hebron (EPA)
Palestinian youths in clashes with Israeli soldiers in Hebron (EPA)
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Netanyahu Predicts PA Return to Negotiations If Trump Gets Re-elected

Palestinian youths in clashes with Israeli soldiers in Hebron (EPA)
Palestinian youths in clashes with Israeli soldiers in Hebron (EPA)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he believes that the Palestinian Authority would return to negotiations with Israel fairly soon. This came in statements published in the US-Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom

“In a closed-door conversation, Netanyahu said that the regional significance of the newly-signed peace deals between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain left the Palestinians no option other than to come back to the table,” Israel Hayom reporter Ariel Kahana wrote.

“However, the prime minister said that talks with the PA would re-launch only after the US presidential election on Nov. 3, and only if US President Donald Trump is re-elected,” he added.

In other news, statements made by US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman to Israel Hayom about Washington considering the unseating of PA President Mahmoud Abbas and replacing him with former Fatah strongman Mohammed Dahlan spurred widespread controversy.

After the rage Friedman’s statements caused, Israel Hayom edited the article to emphasize that the US diplomat’s answer to such speculations was no.

Asked whether the US is considering the possibility of appointing Dahlan, who lives in the UAE, as the next Palestinian leader, Friedman replied: "We're not thinking about it," we have no desire to engineer the Palestinian leadership.

The statement that caused uproar was published on Thursday. Due to the phrasing’s ambiguity, it was understood that the US administration is considering appointing Dahlan as the next Palestinian leader.

PA officials consequentially released vocal statements against such a conspiracy.

As for the impact of the developments on the Palestinians, Friedman said the Palestinian people are not being served properly by their leadership.

"They (the PA) need to join the 21st Century. They are on the wrong side of history at the moment," he said.

"Peace is a once-in-a-generation opportunity," said the ambassador.

After pushing the peace initiative forward and fully capitalizing on it, Friedman said he believes the sovereignty issue can be revisited in a manner that will be less controversial.



Israel Decides to Continue War on Iran Whether or Not US Joins

Emergency personnel at an impact site following Iran's missile strike on Israel in Haifa, June 20, 2025. AFP 
Emergency personnel at an impact site following Iran's missile strike on Israel in Haifa, June 20, 2025. AFP 
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Israel Decides to Continue War on Iran Whether or Not US Joins

Emergency personnel at an impact site following Iran's missile strike on Israel in Haifa, June 20, 2025. AFP 
Emergency personnel at an impact site following Iran's missile strike on Israel in Haifa, June 20, 2025. AFP 

Despite continued efforts by Tel Aviv and its supporters in Washington to push the United States to join Israel in launching direct attacks on Iran, political sources said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and military commanders decided to continue Israel’s military operations and in full force, even without the US direct involvement.

The Maariv newspaper said Friday that the US is aware of the Israeli position and has approved it.

It said US Vice President JD Vance held a virtual meeting with Netanyahu, in the presence military commanders on both sides, and discussed details of developments in the Israel-Iran war.

“All participants agreed there is an unprecedented, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attack Iran, and therefore, must not be missed,” the newspaper quoted Israeli officials as saying.

The officials are aware that Iran is currently vulnerable and will have a hard time defending itself and responding on multiple fronts in a way that affects Israel, it said.

Experts agree that it would be almost impossible for Israel to destroy alone Iran’s nuclear program. They state that the destruction of Iran's most heavily fortified nuclear site, Fordow, which was built deep inside a mountain to protect it from an attack, would require a Massive Ordnance Penetrator, that only the US military possesses. The GBU-57, a 30,000-pound earth-penetrating bomb, can only be delivered by the US B-2 bomber.

According to Maariv, even if Israel does not obtain the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, it still has enough weapons to strike hard Iran’s nuclear program, including the Fordow facility.

When the newspaper insisted on learning how Israel would carry such strikes, a senior source in Tel Aviv said, “Israel’s firepower is hellish.”

Meanwhile, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper said on Friday that the Israeli military operations in Iran could last more than two weeks if the US decides not to join.

However, it said the strikes on Iran will achieve historic results, reducing and destroying the foundations of the nuclear project.

Yedioth Ahronoth said some 20 officers from the country’s Military Intelligence (Aman), have been working since the end of 2022, on a target bank of sites to strike Iran’s nuclear program.

The group of officers was dubbed the “Head Cutting Forum” because it planned to assassinate a list of top Iranian scientists who work at the nuclear program.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel mainly focused on assassinating nuclear scientists working under the leadership of top Iranian nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was killed by Israel in November 2020.

“Israel began assassinating a number of these scientists, early last decade, through secret units recruited in Iran and trained to become clandestine agents,” the newspaper wrote.