Republican strategist Scott Jennings became emotional on Thursday about an Israeli hostage whose mother he met over the summer as he praised President Donald Trump for achieving the first phase of a peace deal between Israel and Hamas.
Trump announced on Truth Social Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had reached an agreement including an Israeli troop withdrawal to a designated line and the release of every hostage. Jennings said on CNN’s “The Arena” that the deal would likely be Trump’s “most historic” achievement during both of his terms and rejoiced over the upcoming return of the hostages. (RELATED: Marco Rubio Passes Trump A Note With News About Middle East Deal)
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“It’ll probably go down as the most historic moment in either of his two presidencies. Peace in the Middle East. When those hostages do walk out, I mean, they think there’s 20 that are alive — all day long I have been thinking about Idit Ohel, who I met in Israel this summer,” Jennings said. “I was traveling there. And she is the mother of Alon Ohel. You may have heard of Alon. He was taken hostage at the Nova music festival. He’s the jazz pianist … I will never forget meeting with her and just the shattered life of a mother waiting for her son to come home.”
“[N]ow he’s going to come home and Donald Trump is responsible for it … for the next few days, when those people come out, this is an unqualified diplomatic victory for the United States of America. It’s not just a personal victory for the president, although it is enormous,” he added. “But this is the power of the United States of America when it has a president that is capable of showing bold and pragmatic leadership on the world stage. So I couldn’t be happier. But mostly because of my friend Idit … She’s going to get her boy back.”
Trump wrote in his Wednesday statement that the agreement was “historic and unprecedented.” He also expressed gratitude to Qatari, Egyptian and Turkish mediators who helped make the deal.
The president said on Fox News’ “Hannity” Wednesday that the hostages of the Oct.7, 2023, attack, both dead and alive, were anticipated to be released by Monday.
While Hamas has released some hostages since Trump’s return to office, 48 remain in Gaza, with 26 publicly verified to have perished, according to ABC News.
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