My main point is that Netanyahu had no choice but to swallow this deal. He is widely disliked in Israel even on the right (particularly among old-guard, elite Likudniks and by supporters of his far-right coalition partners, who will both be happy to blame him for this), but it is not his fault.

Trump has never indicated that he thinks the war is just about getting the hostages back. And Rubio gave testimony underlining that, as well.

For details, see Michael Doran and Caroline Glick.

For three or four decades, Israel has deliberately made itself dependent on the US for the tools needed to defend itself. It could have developed the ability to manufacture its own planes, munitions, etc., but the establishment military/intelligence junta that, in conjunction with the self-appointing judiciary and law enforcement mafia, runs the country (regardless of the composition of the elected government) decided not to do that, instead channeling development into software engineering, pharmaceuticals, etc. Israel is now tasting the bitter fruit of its ruling class’s decision to make the country more or less a colony of the United States.

“Jerusalem Post” report:

JANUARY 15, 2025 19:11
Updated: JANUARY 15, 2025 19:52

Israel, Hamas agree to Gaza deal, Trump says hostages to be ‘released shortly’
“We have a deal for hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

___________________________________________

This has also been reported in other places. Details are scarce; but, so far, it looks as if the rumors were accurate. How many hostages are alive? How slowly will they be released? How long will the ceasefire last? How soon will Hamas regroup and execute anoter pogrom? etc., etc. …

We all know that letting Hamas live to fight another day means more dead Israelis later. Why is this deal, which entails more dead Israelis later, apparently more acceptable to the Israeli government than not taking the deal? What is it we don’t know? What is on the table that is either worse than Hamas killing more Israelis later, or good enough (for whom?) that it offsets Hamas killing more Israelis later?

This I have never understood. And I have given up expecting that anything we read in the news is going to make sense of it. I can only hope that government of Israel knows something, that isn’t the news, that would make sense of it.

Releasing lots of terrorists isn’t such a big deal because there are thousands, hundreds of thousands, of Hamas supporting wannabe terrorists in Gaza. And millions of Jew haters throughout the world, including many in the US.

The key issue is how to govern Gaza after the war, so that the killers can’t kill.
One tweet not mentioned is that of a Gazan woman saying Hamas is in every Gaza house. What is Israel gonna do, kill them all? Probably this was in reaction to Pete Hegseth being willing to support Israel hunting down and killing all Hamas terrorists (next Neo post!) in his confirmation hearing.

Israel will find out they need to occupy and control Gaza, because nobody else will do it and give Israel security. Plus, there needs to be space for Jew tolerant Gazans to work with Jews in peace, without being killed or harassed by racists in power. There might even be a small preference cascade, of Gazans who only pay lip service to Jew hate, but it seems more likely that the vast majority hate, and will find reasons to hate, no matter what. Hating is fun! So Israel occupation must stop the fun of public Jew hate.

Like pushing house rebuilding and other economic work to give young men status thru good actions. Also including sport, and playing with and against Jews after a couple of years.

In the meantime, fast execution of terrorist killers in occupied Gaza will likely reduce the number of terrorist killers released in future hostage exchanges.

Israel should consider the 33 as sacrifices, and immediately commence the execution, perhaps in public, by firing squad, of the many hundreds of Gazans it holds in prison.

Israel was not founded by softies.

Yes, antisemitism is rife in the West, especially Western Europe, New England and the Left Coast. Our finest college and university tenured faculties, socialists all, love Gazans aka Palestinians, none of which I would attend today. That leaves Hillsdale, Belmont Abbey, Grove City as rational sanctuaries. Not enough!