working dinner<\/a> at the White House, opening a portion of the event to the media at the last moment.<\/p>\nNetanyahu likened the combined American and Israeli efforts against Tehran as setting back \u201cthe two tumors that were threatening the life of Israel: the nuclear tumor and the ballistic-missile tumor.\u201d As for the latter, Netanyahu said Iran intended to build 20,000 to launch \u201con a country the size of New Jersey. No country can withstand that. So what do you do when you have two things that are going to kill you? You have to remove them.\u201d<\/p>\n
He cautioned, however, that \u201cwhen you remove a tumor, that doesn\u2019t mean that it can\u2019t come back. You have to constantly monitor the situation to make sure that there\u2019s no attempt to bring it back.\u201d<\/p>\n
He suggested Iran would be hesitant to rebuild the former tumor to threaten Israel again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to believe that Iran would not test our fortitude, because it would be a mistake,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Queried on whether he still backs regime change in Iran, Netanyahu deferred, saying that \u201cit\u2019s up to the people of Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump revealed that his administration has \u201cscheduled Iran talks\u201d and that \u201cthey want to talk\u201d after they took a \u201cbig drubbing,\u201d referring to his administration\u2019s strikes on Tehran\u2019s nuclear facilities. Trump intimated the date for the talks would be revealed on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, told reporters the talks would come \u201cin the next week or so.”<\/p>\n
Trump conceded, though, in response to a question from JNS, that he\u2019s not sure what the basis of the talks will be, given that the strikes eliminated Iran\u2019s nuclear threat, in a situation Trump likened to the dropping of U.S. atomic bombs on Japan.<\/p>\n
But the Islamic Republic \u201crequested a meeting,\u201d Trump said, \u201cand I\u2019m going to go to a meeting, and if we can put something down on paper, that will be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey want to make peace,\u201d Trump added, \u201cand I\u2019m all for it. If that\u2019s not the case, we are ready, willing and able [to strike them again], but I don\u2019t think we\u2019re going to have to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018It should be an open place\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\nOn the Palestinian front, Netanyahu turned back to orthodoxy on the two-state solution, telling reporters that \u201cI think Palestinians should have all the powers to govern themselves, but none of the powers to threaten us.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also asserted that Palestinians had a state in Gaza.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook what they did with it. They didn\u2019t build it up. They built them into bunkers, into terror tunnels, after which they massacred our people,\u201d the Israeli prime minister said, adding that \u201canother\u201d Palestinian state would likewise serve as a \u201cplatform to destroy Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Netanyahu said Jerusalem and Washington are \u201cgetting close to finding several countries\u201d to absorb Gazans who wish to leave the Strip, following up on a plan previously announced by Trump to depopulate the enclave and reconstruct it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think President Trump had a brilliant vision. It\u2019s called free choice. If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave,\u201d Netanyahu said, adding that he\u2019s working with the Trump administration on a plan. Gaza \u201cshouldn\u2019t be a prison. It should be an open place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump said the White House has found \u201cgreat cooperation\u201d from \u201csurrounding countries,\u201d and that \u201cSomething good will happen\u201d on the Gaza relocation front.<\/p>\n
Asked about a security incident in Gaza earlier in the day, in which the Israel Defense Forces reportedly suffered multiple casualties, Trump said he didn\u2019t think that the tragedy would impact ongoing ceasefire talks with Hamas.<\/p>\n
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks ahead of the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on July 7, 2025.(Photo by Arie Leib Abrams\/Flash90)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Witkoff called the incident \u201cterribly unfortunate,\u201d but insisted that an opportunity remained for a hostage and ceasefire deal, saying it is his hope that one will be reached \u201cvery quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Netanyahu said he still plans to visit New York City, even if Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, the mayoral nominee, wins the general election. Mamdani has threatened to have Netanyahu arrested for war crimes, echoing warrants for so-called war crimes issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague last November against the Israeli prime minister and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant.<\/p>\n
Netanyahu said he\u2019s \u201cnot concerned about that.\u201d Trump jumped in, saying, \u201cI\u2019ll get him out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Netanyahu called Mamdani\u2019s stance \u201cfolly\u201d and \u201csilly in many ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump told reporters Mamdani has \u201csaid some real bad things about Jewish people,\u201d likely referring to the 33-year-old candidate\u2019s persistent criticism of Israel and his refusal to condemn the use of the phrase \u201cglobalize the intifada,\u201d which is seen by many as a call for violence against Jews worldwide.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe better behave; otherwise, he\u2019s going to have big problems,\u201d Trump said of Mamdani.<\/p>\n
\u2018The situation has changed\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\nJNS asked Netanyahu whether he is comfortable with the pace of changes in Syria pushed by the Trump administration, whereas he has taken a more cautious approach toward the new Syrian government.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there\u2019s an opportunity to explore. I think that everyone understands that the situation has changed,\u201d Netanyahu said. \u201cIran was essentially running Syria directly through Hezbollah. Hezbollah has been brought to its knees. Iran is out of the picture. So, I think this presents opportunities for stability, for security, and eventually, for peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said Syria has \u201ca lot to lose by going back to conflict, and there\u2019s a lot to gain by moving towards peace. And I think that opportunity has been opened by the president and by the changed security situation, which we brought about with the collapse of the [Bashar] Assad regime.\u201d<\/p>\n
Netanyahu declined to talk about whether Israel is in direct talks with the government of the current Syrian president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa.<\/p>\n
He opened the meeting by presenting Trump with a copy of a letter he sent to the Nobel Prize committee, nominating Trump for the prestigious peace award.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s well-deserved, and you should get it,\u201d Netanyahu said, with Trump responding, \u201cComing from you, in particular, this is very meaningful.\u201d<\/p>\n
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