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U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to encourage Gazans to relocate and place the U.S. in charge of the Gaza Strip is "a breath of fresh air" and "a positive thing," according to William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish American Organizations, an umbrella group representing mainstream American Jewry.
Speaking on the ILTV News Podcast, Daroff noted that "for decades, the policy as it relates to Gaza has been spinning in circles, and no one has come up with a cogent day-after plan – a plan for what Gaza should look like or who's going to be in charge of it."
Trump, he said, has at least proposed an idea. Daroff expressed hope that Trump's unconventional thinking will inspire other leaders to propose their own solutions.
He criticized the Arab world for failing to improve the lives of Gazans.
"They've been totally AWOL," Daroff said, pointing out that in other global crises, populations often relocate. Yet, he questioned, "Why is Egypt somehow able to put up a big wall and say that the Gazans must stay in harm's way?"
Citing polling data from before October 7, Daroff noted that more than 40% of Gazans preferred to live elsewhere. Given that, he asked, "Why not encourage them? Why not incentivize them?"
He blamed Hamas for the hostage crisis, calling the group "suicidal" and "genocidal." However, he also noted that U.S. policy under the previous administration at times had a negative impact.
"The Biden administration pressured the Israeli government to relent a bit, to let in far more humanitarian goods, which certainly the people of Gaza deserve, but that Hamas certainly did not deserve. And it did bolster them," Daroff said.
But will Trump's new ultimatum—that "all hell will break loose" if the hostages are not released by Saturday at noon—be effective? Daroff isn't sure. He does know that Trump has successfully negotiated with Colombia, Canada, and Mexico. Given that, he said, this approach may work.
If not, he suggested, it could at least push the parties back to the table and revive the previous version of Phase I of the deal, which allowed some hostages to be released each week.
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Daroff is confident that Trump will succeed in securing peace with Saudi Arabia. He pointed to intelligence reports suggesting that one reason Hamas carried out the October 7 attack when it did was that Israel and Saudi Arabia were on the verge of normalization.
Achieving peace now, he said, would be "the icing on the cake" after winning the war—bringing the hostages home and eradicating Hamas. If stopping Saudi normalization was one of Hamas's motives, Daroff argued, then not only would Hamas be destroyed and its leader, Yahya Sinwar, eliminated, but his goal of blocking peace with Saudi Arabia would ultimately be reversed.
"The dividends that could flow from that would be a great part of the epitaph of Sinwar," Daroff said.
Netanyahu to Address Jewish Leaders in Jerusalem
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with delegates from the Conference of Presidents next week at their 50th annual event in Jerusalem. He will also deliver his first open remarks in English to a Jewish delegation since Donald Trump took office.
Dozens of top Jewish leaders will be in Israel from February 16 to 20 for the gathering, which includes meetings with high-level officials, panel discussions, and site visits.
Netanyahu did not meet with Jewish leaders during his recent visit to Washington. Instead, he spent a morning with Christian leaders in a meeting arranged by incoming U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
Daroff defended the decision, explaining that Netanyahu's office had been working to arrange such a meeting but ultimately ran out of time.
"I wish there had been a meeting, but I don't think it's incredibly indicative of much other than the fact that the prime minister had a very busy schedule," Daroff said.
Daroff acknowledged the strong and diverse opinions about Netanyahu among American Jews. However, he suggested they may view him more favorably than Israelis since they are not exposed to the constant, often critical, coverage of him in Israeli media.
A recent poll published by the Hebrew daily Maariv showed a surge in support for Netanyahu's Likud Party. Netanyahu's personal approval ratings remain low despite some gains in the war. Meanwhile, protests over the hostages and dissatisfaction with the government's actions continue to fill the streets, even as a hostage deal begins to move forward.
"He's controversial," Daroff said. "He's certainly controversial among Conference of Presidents organizations."
But he said, love or hate Netanyahu, he is glad to see that in the few weeks Trump has been in office, America and the U.S. seem to be in sync.
"I'm very much a supporter of, first, the US and Israel having no daylight between them," Daroff said. "I think that it makes Israel stronger and makes America stronger for our adversaries to see that we speak as one.
"But secondly, there inevitably will be disagreements, that those disagreements are aired in private and not in public," he continued. "I think that when they are aired in public, it lessens the perception of the bond by America and Israel's adversaries. And that's a problem for America and Israel. And I think that what we've seen over these last three weeks is a change in tone, for sure, as distinct from the previous administration."
Jewish Unity in the Face of Rising Antisemitism
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recently reported a sharp 340% increase in global antisemitic incidents. Additionally, a staggering 46% of the world's adult population holds deeply rooted antisemitic views.
The Conference of Presidents has been at the forefront of combating antisemitism. According to Daroff, Jewish organizations are working together in ways he has "never seen before."
"Jewish organizations, post-October 7, are very much engaging together. We're collaborating very much, which indicates where the American Jewish community is in general," he said.
Beyond the "punch in the gut" of the Hamas attack, Daroff explained that Jewish leaders and organizations were shocked by the silence—or even opposition—of those they had previously considered allies.
"That really brought about a resurgence of Jewish self-awareness and engagement that, among other things, has our Jewish organizations working well together," he said.
He emphasized the importance of working with governments at all levels to combat antisemitism, especially on university campuses, which saw violent anti-Israel and antisemitic protests last year.
Daroff noted that the Trump administration had launched an investigation into several universities, conducted proactively by the Department of Education.
"Distinct from other times in our history as a people, we have the government on our side," he said. "When we have issues, we can turn to them and work together. And that's something that worked well with the federal government in the last administration and continues today."
He also highlighted a new Department of Justice task force and a key legal measure related to college campuses. Under existing law, individuals on visas who provide material support for terror can have their visas revoked.
"There are a few of these provocateurs who are the problem, and I think by showing them that actions have consequences, we can really change the climate here," Daroff noted.
While he feels safe, he also believes "it's important to be a little scared" and for the community "to stay on our toes." He admitted he will be more hesitant to engage with individuals and organizations that denied what happened on October 7, though this stance may evolve over time to accomplish other goals.
"Our eyes will be very open, and I think there probably will be a much higher price of entry in order for us to engage with them," he added.
Above all, Daroff stressed the importance of Jewish unity.
"We can count on each other, and we are stronger as a people when we are unified."
While he doesn't believe anything good can come from October 7, he acknowledged that it has clarified for many people "what's important, who's important, and who they can count upon."
First published: 15:29, 02.12.25