‘If there were more Israels in the Middle East, then the world would be a safer and a better place,” Marco Rubio says at joint press conference with Israeli Premier Netanyahu
After US President Donald Trump’s disputable proposal for a Gaza “takeover,” which has already been rejected by major Western powers, Arab nations, and other countries, his Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed in a controversial statement Sunday that a Middle East with more “Israels” would make the world “safer.”
“If there were more Israels in the Middle East, then the world would be a safer and a better place,” Rubio claimed during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, according to a statement by the US Embassy in Israel.
He also reaffirmed Washington’s unwavering support for Israel.
Rubio’s remarks came amid discussions on regional issues, including Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the dismantling of Hamas.
The visit marks Rubio’s first official trip to Israel as Secretary of State under President Donald Trump.
He reiterated the administration’s firm stance on key regional issues, particularly Iran and the war in Gaza. He said that Iran’s nuclear ambitions pose an existential threat to regional stability and vowed that Washington would not allow Tehran to develop nuclear weapons.
“There can never be a nuclear Iran—a nuclear Iran that could then hold itself immune from pressure and from action. That can never happen. The president has been clear about that as well,” Rubio said.
He described Iran as “the single greatest source of instability in the region,” blaming its leadership for supporting armed groups across the Middle East.
Turning to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Rubio said, “Hamas cannot continue as a military or government force.”
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for taking over Gaza and resettling its population to develop what he called “the Riviera of the Middle East.” The idea has been rejected by the Arab world and many other nations, who say it amounts to ethnic cleansing.
A ceasefire agreement has been in place in Gaza since Jan. 19, halting Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed nearly 48,300 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.
Nineteen Israeli captives and five Thai workers have been released in exchange for 1,135 Palestinian prisoners under the first phase of the Gaza agreement, which took effect on Jan. 19.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.