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US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff was interviewed by Fox News on a whole range of subjects that began with the Envoy’s views on Gaza and the Board of Peace.
Witkoff said: “We’re going to have housing and mass transportation, and we’re going to be able to clear and demolish all the areas there and get it ready for a renaissance – I think this is just the beginning – I think today it’s $17 billion in pledges, [but] tomorrow it could be $34 billion.”
President Trump is both ‘curious’ and ‘frustrated’ that Iran hasn’t capitulated despite the massive military pressure, Wikoff said: “President Trump asked me about Iran’s ‘red lines’ this morning, and he’s – I don’t want to use the word ‘frustrated’ – it’s almost because he understands he’s got plenty of alternatives.
“He’s curious as to why they haven’t – I don’t want to use the word capitulated – but why they haven’t capitulated.
“Why, under this sort of pressure with the amount of sea power and naval power that we have over there, why they haven’t come to us and said ‘We profess that we don’t want a weapon, so here’s what we’re prepared to do,’ and yet it’s hard to sort of get them to that place.”
Speaking about Russian President Vladimir Putin, Witkoff said: “He’s never been anything other than straight with me – I say that, and I get attacked, but that’s an accurate statement – he’s told me this is what his red lines are, [but] I got attacked for going to meet him eight times.
“How would you make a deal with someone on the other side unless you knew where the other person was coming from?
“I needed to understand what his motivations were, his goals and so forth – I actually think that a lot of those meetings now are becoming very relevant, we understand where they are, and I don’t think the Ukrainians disagree with us in our assessments, so I think those meetings were important, and hopefully we’re going to consummate this whole thing.”
Finally, Witkoff spoke about President Donald Trump’s term: “He’s changed the perspective of everybody out there [Board of Peace members], all the different nations, the naysayers would say, ‘Oh they’re just pandering to him,’ it’s preposterous.
“Everything is better in the entire world and in each of their individual countries, which is what they say about the President – What presidency has ever done this much in four years or, in fact, even eight years? – But he’s done it in 11 months, it’s nothing short of remarkable.”
