Ben Shapiro, co-founder of the Daily Wire, shared his thoughts with Arutz Sheva regarding the agreement between Israel and Hamas to release hostages and cease hostilities, the influence of President-elect Donald Trump in facilitating the deal, and the musical “We Will Rise” that he created alongside his father.

Shapiro explained, “I think the fact is that the Trump Administration wants the hostages out, and I also think that they want a headline that is connected to the hostages being released.” He continued, “I think whether the deal ends up being a net benefit for Israel and for the United States or whether it ends up being a net detriment is going to be largely determined by whether it’s seen as a ceasefire/end of war deal or whether it’s seen as a hostage release deal. And it seems to me far-fetched to believe that the Trump Administration would cram down a full-scale ceasefire deal that allowed Hamas to remain in place given the fact that literally every Cabinet nominee who’s spoken on this has said precisely the reverse.”

He went on to mention that Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary, had publicly stated his support for Israel “in killing literally every member of Hamas.” Additionally, Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for National Security Adviser, had made it clear that Hamas would not be permitted to remain in power in Gaza.

Shapiro asserted that “any sort of deal that ends with Hamas in control, either titular or effectual, of the Gaza Strip, seems to be a non-starter.” He speculated that the deal’s purpose was likely to ensure the safe release of as many hostages as possible while acknowledging that Israel would likely have to resume military action later. “So what that actually means is that is probably best to be seen, if you going to try and game it out, as a way of guaranteeing that many of the hostages get out – hopefully as many as possible – and then a recognition that Israel is going to have to go back in and mop up the job,” he added.

Shapiro emphasized that he viewed the deal not as a final end to the conflict, but rather as a measure focused on securing the release of hostages. “I think the sort of take that this is an end-of-war deal as opposed to a ‘free the hostages and then see where you are deal, I think that’s probably mistaken,” he commented.

Regarding Trump’s statement warning Hamas of the severe consequences should the hostages not be released before his inauguration, Shapiro responded, “I take Trump at his word on that. I think that the notion that Hamas is a trustworthy negotiating partner because they decide that they’re going to release babies in exchange for murderous terrorists: I don’t think President Trump believes that, I don’t think anyone in his national security team believes that, and so I think that probably, what this is from the Trump team – as probably well as the Biden team – is to get as many hostages out as you can get out with the minimum possible immediate withdrawals.”

Shapiro acknowledged that the deal was painful but left open the question of how damaging it might ultimately be. “It’s a painful deal,” he remarked. “The question is how much pain, and I think that’s yet to be seen.”

He recognized the concerns of Trump supporters in Israel, expressing understanding of their frustration with the deal, yet he expressed confidence in the leadership of both the Netanyahu administration and the Trump administration. “It’s only going to be determined how bad or good the deal is as it’s implemented. I have enough trust in both the Netanyahu administration and the Trump administration to believe that it isn’t a full-scale surrender as it’s been portrayed by some.”

Shapiro also reflected on the significance of Trump’s inauguration, predicting that Israel would no longer face the same restrictions it had under the Biden administration. “The meaning for Israel” of Trump’s inauguration, he explained, “is that the boot is going to be off the neck of the IDF and of Israel in general with regard to fighting terrorism and taking measures necessary to secure itself. That obviously wasn’t the case with the Biden Administration that was slow-walking aid, that was preventing Israel from getting weaponry that it required.”

He suggested that the future of Iran policy was uncertain but believed that the U.S. would likely adopt a more supportive stance toward Israel’s right to self-defense under Trump. “If I had to ball-park it, my suggestion would be that the Americans are going to be quite friendly towards Israel protecting itself,” Shapiro remarked. “You’re not gonna have as much yelling and screaming about Israel doing the things that are necessary in order to protect itself.”

Shapiro emphasized that American and Israeli interests were distinct, urging Israel to seek independence in its defense and foreign policy. “American interests and Israeli interests are not identical, nor should they be. They’re separate countries with separate interests. The Israelis should use this as an opportunity to make themselves more independent of the entire world, including the United States, with regard to, for example, arms supply and foreign policy.”

He rejected the idea that Israel should simply align its policies with whichever administration holds power in the U.S. “That seems to me bad policy by any state, including Israel,” he stated. “I think that if Israel is hoping that President Trump is going to do the work for Israel, I don’t think that’s what he was elected to do.”

Describing Trump’s administration as one that would be “very friendly towards Israel,” Shapiro emphasized that Trump’s goal was to help Israel protect itself while recognizing the threat posed by Israel’s enemies. “What they’re going to get is an administration that is very friendly towards Israel, that wants to see Israel protect itself, that recognizes that Israel’s enemies are indeed evil and seek its destruction, and is going to act that way,” Shapiro said. He reminded that it was impossible to predict future political scenarios. “But again, no one can predict the future and no one even knows who’s going to be president five years from now. I would always urge Israel and the United States to act as independent states in their own interests.”

{Matzav.com}