CORRESPONDENT, JONATHAN LAMERE
FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
GOOD EVENING, AND WELCOME TO YOU
ALL.
ANDREA, IM GLAD WE ADENT FIPEDI
THE ONE HOUR OF THE DAY WHEN YOU
ARE NOT WORKING AND ABLE TO JOIN
US TONIGHT.
REPORTING HOW IT WENT DOWN THE
PAST COUPLE DAYS.
>> WELL, KEY IT TO, ACCORDING TO
A PERSON FAMILIAR TO BEHIND THE
SCENES, RECOGNITION BY THE WHITE
HOUSE, LED BY THE PRESIDENT WITH
ALL OF HIS EXPERIENCES FROM
CHAIRMAN OF THE FOREIGN
RELATIONS COMMITTEE, AND VICE
PRESIDENT IN THOSE EIGHT YEARS.
THEY BELIEVED ISRAEL WAS INTENT
OF INVADING GAZA, AND IT WOULD
BE A REPEAT OF 2014, A LONG,
PROTRACTED ENGAGEMENT.
THEY WANTED TO AVOID THAT.
THEY KNEW WHEN THE ROCKETS CAME
IN, ISRAEL WOULD RETALIATE AND
WE ARE POISED FOR A GROUND
INVASION.
THEY FELT IT SHOULD TO BE DONE
BEHIND THE SCENES.
IF THEY PUT NETANYAHU ON THE
SPOT, THEY COULD BACKFIRE AND IT
COULD BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.
THEY HAD A LOT OF CRITICISM.
ISRAEL WAS VERY AWARE THEY WERE
LOSING MODERATE DEMOCRATS,
ALLIES WHO HAD BEEN LONG
SUPPORTERS.
THEY TOOK THE HEAT.
DIDNT CALL FOR A CEASE-FIRE,
AND THEY FOUND THAT EGYPT WAS
THE KEY INGREDIENT.
THE ONLY ONE THAT COULD REALLY
INFLUENCE HAMAS, AND THEY 4 TO
FIND OUT IF ISRAEL WOULD REALLY
INFLUENCE HAMAS, AND ONCE EGYPT
PROMISED THEY COULD STOP THE
LONG RANGE ROCKETS FROM REACHING
TEL AVIV, AND THEY GOT THEM TO
STOP, THEY FIGURED IT WOULD
WORK, AND YES, TERDAY, THERE WER
SIX CALLS IN ALL WITH NETANYAHU,
AND THE CALL YESTERDAY, IT
SEEMED LIKE NETANYAHU WAS
REBUFFING THE PRESIDENTS CALL
FOR SUBSTANTIAL EVIDENCE THEY
WERE PLANNING FOR A CEASE-FIRE,
THEY WANTED TO SEE DEESCALATION,
THE WORDS QUOTED BACK TO US, AND
IMMEDIATELY, NETANYAHU SAID THEY
WERE GOING TO FINISH THE JOB,
AND IT APPEARED TO BE AN
EXTRAORDINARY REBUFF OF THE
PRESIDENT.
BUT IT WAS REACHING THE LAST
MINUTE AGREEMENTS, FIGURING OUT
AND FINALLY CAME TOGETHER TODAY,
AND WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE
HOURS, IT WAS TOUCH AND GO, AND
THEY WERE TAKING A LOT OF HEAT
FROM THE U.N., WITH A SURPRISE
MOVE FROM THE FRENCH.
SO THERE WAS A LOT IN PLAY, AND
A BIT DEFENSIVE.
ACCORDING TO THE PERSON
PARTICULAR WITH -- I SPOKE WITH.
BUT THEY BELIEVE THAT THE
OUTCOME IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY
NEEDED, AND SECRETARY BLINKEN
GOING, AND IT WILL BE HARD WORK
TO MAKE SURE IT DOESNT HAPPEN
AGAIN.
BECAUSE NETANYAHU NOW HAS 70% OF
SUPPORT, 80% FROM ISRAELIS
TODAY.
BUT 70% AT LEAST SUPPORT NOT TO
END THE CEASE-FIRE.
SO THEY HAVE TO PROVE THAT THE
ISRAELIS THIS WONT HAPPEN
AGAIN, AND THEY HAVE TO PROVE TO
THE PEOPLE OF GAZA THIS