Nachum Segal and Phil Rosen Discuss Mideast Peace on JM in the AM

Wednesday morning roesh morning here at JM and the AM. Well, we we always love speaking to Phil Rosen and we have uh a variety of topics that we always address with him and we appreciate his leadership and his insight into a whole bunch of stuff. But boy, today I felt, well, not just today, since Sukus, I felt we really owe it to him to get him on the air because Phil Rosen is one of those people who for years now has been telling us that it is possible to actually have a peace agreement in the Middle East. And we know how tenuous it is. We get it. But he said it's possible. and he said it's possible that countries that we never suspected would be interested in the Abraham Accords would in fact display an enthusiasm not nothing definite yet but an enthusiasm for joining the Abraham Accords and all this now we see has come true the peace deal etc obviously we'll discuss that with him but the enthusiasm for Abraham Accords you can't deny I mean countries we never suspected would ever be interested in something like that an agreement including Israel an agreement that included Israel. Uh those countries are now displaying, as I said, uh unusual enthusiasm. He is the chairman of the World Jewish Congress. He is vice chair of the Republican Jewish Coalition, of course, a board member at his beloved Yeshiva University. Phil Rosen with us live via telephone. A pleasure to welcome you back to JM in the AM. >> Thank you so much, Natham. It's always a pleasure to be here and I love what you do for the Jewish people with your show. It's amazing and it's been a nice long period of time. It should continue. I may have asked him. >> Oh man, I appreciate that Phil very very much. Well, today you could breathe a sigh of relief. There's no pressure on Phil Rosen today. Every time you came on and said I am telling you that countries like Saudi Arabia, I'm just using an example, uh will be aggressively trying to pursue inclusion in the Abraham Accords. Every time I said, "Oh boy, you know, is he going out on a limb? Is he gonna pay for this comment?" And Phil, look what's going on. It's pretty amazing. And we'll talk more about this obviously in this conversation, but I must start with what was it like sitting in the Knesset as both the prime minister and the president of the United States of America addressed the Knesset on Hosanaba. >> It was mindboggling. It really my father was in late success when u the UN voted for the state of Israel. That was the uh location. >> He had to be able to get a ticket and he went there and he told me that it was lifechanging. >> I think that uh for me this was very similar. you know, I was at the signing of the Abraham Accords, >> right? >> Um, and I think this exceeded that in many respects. Um, it was really beautiful to hear the President Trump talk about the need to uh make peace in the Middle East uh among not just Israel and its neighbors, but the entire Middle East. And it's it's something very special. you know, I I was his lawyer for a long time, and I appreciate very much the fact that he's um doing so much for America and for the state of Israel. It's really very special. Um the fact that uh the people doing it are people I know for a very long time, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, and um even more important, Ron Durmer, who was one of the architects of of this whole plan. Um, I think it's uh, you know, Shepus, as you would say. >> The, um, a lot of people like to use the word surreal in situations like this. Did it seem somewhat of an outof body experience sitting there? Were you saying to yourself, I just cannot believe that I am sitting at this event and that this is actually happening in front of me? >> It really did it. Uh, I looked around and I've been to the Knesset before. I was there actually when President Bush visited and spoke to the Knesset. Um but I watched the faces of the people from right to left. Everyone was mesmerized by President uh Trump's um you know love and it was great to see something very very special and as you say surreal. >> Did he overdo the pardon section of his speech? That was just hilarious. >> Did he Did he uh drive Miriam add a little too crazy? What do you think? >> No, I think she loved it. I think he really did. She's a good friend and I'm pretty sure she loved it. But I think listen, he made he's a very um he's got a great sense of humor. Yeah. And I think he took the opportunity with uh with BB and and uh and Bougie Herzog to throw a little wine in there. And uh who knows, maybe he's generated some uh good publicity as far as BB's concerned. I think um the beauty of the Knesset outing as opposed to the rallies in the streets is that people do recognize how much BB has done for the state of Israel. I think putting aside October 7th, which is a whole different issue. Um, but taking a look at the last five months and seeing all the amazing accomplishments of the IDF and and uh and its leadership and the government and its leadership. It's pretty mesmerizing, you know, to have all of these enemies that have tried to kill you, all of these Iran and its uh and its um allies, having all of them to be in a place where we could breathe easier as as you said before. >> Yeah. >> And uh it's important it's important for us, for our children, and for our grandchildren. >> Phil Rosen with us live via telephone. primary example you always have used in the last two three years when it came to Abraham accords countries that would be willing to sit down with Israel I mean everyone listening knows what I mean your prime example was always Saudi Arabia you had a personal relationship with people there you felt you were make helping to make progress in that whole area there is that still the prime target is that still the number one on your list and what other countries would you include >> no I I think listen Saudi Arabia is the kingdom as the crown Prince reminds everyone that he meets with they're not just another country. They're the kingdom. Um they have the largest uh you know Muslim population or second largest Muslim population but they're they're the place where all the holy sites in Islam exist and um people look up to them. You know the the fact is the other countries were wonderful and it's great achievement but I think Saudi Arabia is going to be the big one and it's going to teach the Arab world that you need to make peace with Israel and take advantage of the opportunities with Israel as a partner >> and if they are and if in fact they are leaning toward this and for the moment we're assuming they are uh is it a real stretch when the president includes Iran on that list is that completely um impossible to believe that they would actually be interested in some type of agreement that included Israel. >> So what has to take place before there's any reaching out to Iran is there has to be a change in the government. >> Um that doesn't exist in Saudi Arabia. You don't need to have that step, >> right? >> But Iran is concerned. you know, it's not an immediate because the the go current government in Iran is not willing to do it. The people may be. You know, the fact is that um I grew up in Great Neck, Long Island where the Iranian population um in the 90s became and and afterwards became something very very special. All of them were people who moved from Iran when the clerics took over the government. They all were very loyal to the sha but they felt that obviously they had no opportunity to stay. um that could come back you know the I see that Raza Palabi the Sha's son is getting a lot of press nowadays that uh he wants to lead the revolution who wants to be part of it and so that's a possibility but I I put that in the back burner >> right >> right now the countries that want to achieve peace um are probably Saudi Arabia Indonesia um and some of the other countries countries, maybe even Syria. Um, those are, you know, amazing. If you if you took somebody and put them in a spaceship 20 years ago and then took them out today, they would say to you, "How is this possible? Those are the bitter enemies of the Jewish people." I mean, you know, Syria, just for example, um my uncle fought in the 48 war and was killed on the Syrian border and uh in a place called Mishmar Ar. And so we looked at Syria as being the nastiest of all of Israel's enemies. The fact that today you might have a possibility of having a relationship and maybe even peace, that's something very special. And I think um both governments, the Israeli government and the US government deserve an enormous amount of credit for this and you know they'll go down in history as having pushed this as well. >> Oh 100% agree with that. Phil Rosen with us live via telephone. Finally, we as casual observers uh do have an opinion or two regarding Hamas and their sincerity when they're involved in a peace agreement. I'm not worried about the Israeli side, frankly, and I'm certainly not worried at the moment about the US um pressuring Israel unfairly. I don't think at the moment we need to worry about that. I hope I'm right. But you know what it's like. Uh the the peace agreement is historic. The president was correct. We're talking about, you know, something that hasn't been done practically in history, certainly in recent history. But we worry if the enemy has even a desire to stick to the particulars of this agreement. Is this agreement going to hold knowing the kamas attitude toward leadership in Gaza and their attitude toward Israel? So the the key to give an answer to that question, the key is what is the US going to do? Is the US going to continue um and and the other foreign countries? Are they going to continue to pressure um the Hamas leadership and the Hamas people to to stay at the table and not walk away and not do uh you know the horrible things that they did on October October 7th to do them again and again? That's the key is other people putting pressure on them. Um because they're not going to do it themselves. They have they have an attitude that says basically they want not not the land of Israel. I think that's secondary. What they want is to kill Jews. And so when somebody has that attitude, and they've said it again and again, um the only way they'll continue to be at the table is pressure from their allies, meaning um uh Qatar and and uh Turkey um and some of the other countries um some of the other mus Muslim countries such as France and and uh and Canada. They have to put >> he said he said only slightly tongue and cheek, >> right? They have to put pressure on kamas and keep the pressure on. >> By the way, by the way, that's why I like the timing of the vice president's trip. I think it's a symbol and a signal that they're ready to continue to pressure. >> That's right. That's right. and he's there with Jared, with Wickoff, and they're, you know, they're living there um basically in order to put pressure on um and make sure that people don't walk away from the table and then there's no worry that Israel is going to walk away from the table, but there is a worry that Hamas won't stick with the agreement. I hope they do. Um I think uh you know, fortunately yesterday two Israeli soldiers were killed. >> Yeah. And that uh that means a lot. You know, the one thing that we don't recognize is the number of Israeli soldiers and number of Israeli people that have been killed since October 7th is is mind-boggling. And for each of those families, each of the each and every one of those families, we have to feel as if it's our family. And we have to cry and we have to, you know, say prayers that the family can recover. Um, you know, I when I grew up, there was a close friend of ours, um, the Yehuda family that were the principal of Northshore Hebrew Academy. And, um, uh, their kids, they had seven, six, seven kids. And their youngest was killed in 82 in Lebanon in the war. >> Wow. >> And they never recovered. Literally never recovered. And so I look at all these families, you know, 900 soldiers, 1,200, you know, people, um, on October 7th, and you think to yourself, these are people that will never recover. And you have to pray that they that that it gets a little better for them, but they'll never recover. Yeah. >> So >> that's what we have to think about. >> Yeah. Yeah, with all with all the celebrating, we have to think about all the people that that uh that can't celebrate >> staggering numbers. And for that alone, uh we hope that the peace agreement, as you indicated, that it holds and that we're able to move forward and that our brothers and sisters in Israel have an actual day. We'll start with one day of peace because the the line is always, you know, it's been 77 years they haven't had a quiet day in Israel. Uh let let's start with one day and move forward, please God, with true peace. uh even with those who were sworn to our destruction very recently. Uh Phil Rosen, I thank you. I I I take it that you had no problem going from the Knesset back home with all the road closures on that hosana to make it back on time for Shmini Seras. >> It was amazing. We walked, we thought we were going to have to walk two miles to where taxis would be available, but uh I met somebody along the way who happens to be on the board of the World Jewish Congress and he had he had a car parked there and he gave us a lift which was amazing. So, you know, >> a day of miracles, huh? >> Yeah. Nothing. You didn't ask me about the YU basketball team. remember my my my nephew was a star for uh for four years. >> Yeah, we can't forget it. We can't forget that your nephew was a star for four years. >> This year I think this year is going to be uh is going to be a good year for the team. And you'll have Elliot on. It'll tell you more. >> Well, I had a I had a and I already have my first question for Ellie because I don't know if you saw this or not. He actually put out a social media post saying how he hasn't been this excited about the start of a season in whatever time it was. I don't remember how many years he said. I'm saying to myself, boy, that's unusual. You would think, especially Elliot, knowing him and his passion for basketball that every year he'd really be up for the new season this time of year. But for some reason, it seems, and again, we'll ask him why, that this year is something extra special. So, Phil, we may be sitting there when again another winning team takes another title at Yeshiva University. You never know. >> I look forward to nothing. It'll be great. Thank you. >> Thanks so much. And thanks for joining us this morning. Phil Rosen, of course, he's the chairman of the World Jewish Congress, vice chair of the Republican Jewish Coalition and board member at Yeshiva University. And you heard how relaxed he was this morning. That's right, because the last couple of years he's come on and he's made predictions about peace agreements and countries that'll be interested in actually having a normal relationship with Israel. But, you know, it was a prediction. He was worried, I'm sure, a little tension in his voice whether it would come true. And now he has the honor of having been at the Knesset during this historic day on Hosanaba and actually seeing countries moving forward in enthusiastic fashion to make agreements please God with Israel which is just unbelievable. Yeah, you heard the calm in Phil's voice. More coming up. You're listening to a a Wednesday roles edition of JM in the A.M.