I’m someone way too ignorant on the issue at hand so I’ll offer my point in effort for educational discussion… but my observation is that Israel isn’t at war with Palestinians but rather they are at war with Iran through multiple proxies on multiple fronts. At some point Israel has to pivot their “main effort” from Gaza to another front. Where that line of advance exists in time, space, and geopolitical conditions I believe are up to the Israelis, but this opportunity to achieve the cease fire in Gaza with the sitting American President without a political path to a second term might be that appropriate “line of advance.” I believe they have some negotiating momentum now that they might not in the future.
I was a fan of Bibi until recent years. I dismissed his well-known moral failings in the belief that he was Israel's Churchill. I am a fan no longer. Not because he's killing too many Palestinians--those deaths are on Hamas--but because he's killing a lot of Palestinians with no satisfactory end game in sight. To have killed 40-50,000 Palestinians without eliminating Hamas will be a terrible failure, but it looks like that is what he's going to end up accomplishing. Bibi's second major failure is making support for Israel a partisan issue in the U.S. Third, he seems to be doing what Trump is seeking to do, avoid prison by being in political power. What good he's capable of doing, I think, he has already done. There's not much upside for Israel if he remains in office. All the upside is for him.
Biden will be lucky to get Hezbollah to stop launching missiles and drones at Israel. Actually forcing it beyond the Litani is something only the IDF can accomplish.
And why would Hamas give up the leverage Hezbollah's rockets provide for a deal it thinks Israel would renege on at the first opportunity? (Or which would - improbably - even allow Israel to hold on to the Philadelphi Corridor and resume hostilities after six weeks?)
Conversely, why would Hezbollah voluntarily hang Hamas out to dry before a deal is inked?
Here is another interpretation from an non-Jew: Hamas' barbaric attack on innocent civilians within Israeli territory was an act of war. Any nation has the right to defend itself and respond to a continuing threat to its citizens as it sees fit. The fact that Hamas uses its own people as human shields does not mean Israel has no right to respond. In fact, Hamas' total disregard for the lives of even their own people guarantees that their victim's response will produce terrible collateral damage, and has very effectively used this as a powerful propaganda tool.
Trump can’t be trusted. Bur he might be who Israel has to deal with come January. Not sure Kamala is any better. I don’t trust her either.
But any deal is worse than no deal. Bibi can’t leave Hamas in Gaza and they need to get sinwar. Most of the hostages are already dead. I think I read that the intelligence services think over 80% are dead. You don’t risk the living to get back dead bodies. Israelis are tired but it’s preferable to being dead. just because there are protests in Tel Aviv doesn’t mean the country wants just any deal.
I’m someone way too ignorant on the issue at hand so I’ll offer my point in effort for educational discussion… but my observation is that Israel isn’t at war with Palestinians but rather they are at war with Iran through multiple proxies on multiple fronts. At some point Israel has to pivot their “main effort” from Gaza to another front. Where that line of advance exists in time, space, and geopolitical conditions I believe are up to the Israelis, but this opportunity to achieve the cease fire in Gaza with the sitting American President without a political path to a second term might be that appropriate “line of advance.” I believe they have some negotiating momentum now that they might not in the future.
Good points
I was a fan of Bibi until recent years. I dismissed his well-known moral failings in the belief that he was Israel's Churchill. I am a fan no longer. Not because he's killing too many Palestinians--those deaths are on Hamas--but because he's killing a lot of Palestinians with no satisfactory end game in sight. To have killed 40-50,000 Palestinians without eliminating Hamas will be a terrible failure, but it looks like that is what he's going to end up accomplishing. Bibi's second major failure is making support for Israel a partisan issue in the U.S. Third, he seems to be doing what Trump is seeking to do, avoid prison by being in political power. What good he's capable of doing, I think, he has already done. There's not much upside for Israel if he remains in office. All the upside is for him.
Biden will be lucky to get Hezbollah to stop launching missiles and drones at Israel. Actually forcing it beyond the Litani is something only the IDF can accomplish.
And why would Hamas give up the leverage Hezbollah's rockets provide for a deal it thinks Israel would renege on at the first opportunity? (Or which would - improbably - even allow Israel to hold on to the Philadelphi Corridor and resume hostilities after six weeks?)
Conversely, why would Hezbollah voluntarily hang Hamas out to dry before a deal is inked?
It sounds like a Catch 22 to me.
/mic
IMO, Bibi (and cabinet) and the murder of so many civilians in Gaza is helping to drive antisemitism globally.
I say this as someone with Jewish heritage.
Bibi (and cabinet) along with Hamas leadership are mass murdering war criminals. They all belong on trial at the ICC.
/mic drop
As a Jew, I vehemently disagree with you.
But it’s a free country.
Here is another interpretation from an non-Jew: Hamas' barbaric attack on innocent civilians within Israeli territory was an act of war. Any nation has the right to defend itself and respond to a continuing threat to its citizens as it sees fit. The fact that Hamas uses its own people as human shields does not mean Israel has no right to respond. In fact, Hamas' total disregard for the lives of even their own people guarantees that their victim's response will produce terrible collateral damage, and has very effectively used this as a powerful propaganda tool.
Trump can’t be trusted. Bur he might be who Israel has to deal with come January. Not sure Kamala is any better. I don’t trust her either.
But any deal is worse than no deal. Bibi can’t leave Hamas in Gaza and they need to get sinwar. Most of the hostages are already dead. I think I read that the intelligence services think over 80% are dead. You don’t risk the living to get back dead bodies. Israelis are tired but it’s preferable to being dead. just because there are protests in Tel Aviv doesn’t mean the country wants just any deal.
Good points.
Thanks