Trump reinforces Bibi with White House hug

Except for an apparent disagreement about Turkey’s role in American-influenced developments in the Middle East, President Trump gave Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a bear hug of a verbal embrace at Mar-a-Lago on Monday.

Trump credited Netanyahu with guiding the Jewish state to victory over a “force the likes of which very few countries could have handled.”

“He’s a wartime prime minister,” Trump said of Netanyahu. “He’s taken Israel through a very dangerous period of drama.”

Trump said that under other leadership, Israel “might not exist right now.”

“That’s a pretty big statement, but it’s true,” Trump said. “If you had the wrong prime minister, Israel right now would not exist.”

Trump said he would “absolutely” support additional Israeli strikes on Iranian missile and nuclear facilities.

The president agreed to military action alongside Israel if Iran “will continue with missiles” and nuclear activities.

It was not clear if Trump meant that he would support a strike under current conditions but suggested that any potential military action would be a response to Iranian moves.

“I hear that Iran is trying to build up again and if they are we’re going to have to knock ’em down — we’ll knock the hell out of them,” Trump said.

He added that Iran should “make a deal,” but that he would not discuss the overthrow of the regime.

Regarding Gaza, Trump said: “There has to be a disarmament of Hamas,” Trump said.

He said expects that reconstruction of the enclave under Phase II of his 20-point peace plan would begin “pretty soon.” —With JNS