Israel is not caving on hostage negotiations
At least, not for now.
There is tremendous motivation for terrorists to take hostages, especially Israeli hostages. Israel has a history of agreeing to extremely lopsided deals with Palestinian authorities in order to get its people back. The most extreme example of which I’m aware is the Shalit deal of 2011:
The Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange … followed a 2011 agreement between Israel and Hamas to release Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1,027 prisoners — almost all Palestinians and Arab-Israelis … Two hundred and eighty of these had been sentenced to life in prison for planning and perpetrating various attacks against Israeli targets.
Hamas military leader Ahmed Jabari was quoted in the pan-Arab newspaper Al-Hayat as confirming that the prisoners released under the deal were collectively responsible for the killing of 569 Israelis. The agreement came five years and four months after Palestinian militants captured Shalit in southern Israel along the Gaza Strip border.
Netanyahu was in charge back then, by the way. No wonder the Gazans thought that kidnapping hundreds of Israelis on October 7, 2023, would yield even greater results, if possible – including a ceasefire and more power.
Here’s what Israel is saying now:
Israel will not participate in further talks aimed at achieving a temporary ceasefire and prisoner swap until it receives a list of living hostages still held by Hamas, the Axios news site reported Friday, as Hebrew-language media indicated that the Palestinian terror group had adopted an increasingly intransigent stance in the negotiations.
According to the Axios report, Qatar and Egypt, who mediate between Israel and Hamas, had coaxed Israel to take part in talks over the past week in Doha by guaranteeing that if an Israeli delegation were sent, Egypt and Qatar would secure a list of living hostages, and pressure Hamas to come down from its demands regarding the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in return for each Israeli hostage.
But after three days of talks in Doha, the Israeli delegation returned home without any answers on either issue. “The mediators promised that Hamas would give numbers and that didn’t happen,” Axios quoted an unnamed Israeli official as saying.
On Thursday, Qatari and Egyptian officials proposed another round of talks in Cairo to take place over the coming week, but Israel refused the offer due to the mediators’ failure to receive from Hamas the promised list of hostages.
“There is no point in starting another round of talks until we receive the lists of which of the hostages are alive and until Hamas gives its answer regarding the ‘ratio’ that defines how many prisoners will be released for each hostage,” the official said.
This is what Netanyahu is saying at present:
In any case, “we won’t capitulate to Hamas’s delusional demands,” Netanyahu said, noting that “if we capitulate, we simply won’t be here.”
But I submit that there’s nothing “delusional” about Hamas’ demands, if you look at the history. Netanyahu of course knows that, but what he means is that things are different now. Hamas has always exhibited Israel-eliminationist rhetoric. Now it has made it clear that it’s not just rhetoric. Not only do Hamas and the other Palestinian jihadis/terrorists have the will to destroy Israel but they are gaining skills and coordination at doing just that.
Netanyahu is well aware that the Shalit deal led directly to October 7 in two ways: it gave the Palestinians back terrorists who became the masterminds of October 7 such as Sinwar, and it made the terrorists think that kidnapping a great many more hostages than before would get them what they want in the future.
“Our Israeli national unity is all important in time of war”, says Benny Gantz, as he boards his plane to fly to Washington to receive instructions from his Sovereign, Joe Biden. “Oh, and now above all moments is the time to jerk the haredis’ tzitzit. We just gotta have that draft”, he adds.
More than most nations, Israel learns from its mistakes.
Actually Gantz will be meeting with Kamala, to judge his level of humiliation, I think its pretty high, so how many of the hostages are still alive, where are they, and if not, what did they do with them, questions that people don’t seem very concerned about,
“…concerned…”
Well, if there aren’t too, too many hostages left—and Hamas can/will always LIE about that number, along with everything else—the Hamas “Ministry of Health” can/will always claim that they were killed by Israeli troops…and why should any of the usual suspects be skeptical about those claims?
…and so, Win-Win(!) for Hamas…
(Of course that would depend on how one defines “Win”…but so far, Hamas seems to be doing pretty darn well…on the global stage of burlesque—make that “grotesque”—morality….)
Here’s some news that might be deemed “INCONVENIENT”** and hence NOT TO BE REPORTED:
“IDF facilitates dozens of air drops of aid into Gaza;
“IDF says over 450 packages of food and medical aid were distributed through 21 airdrops to the Gaza Strip in recent weeks in coordination with Jordan, France, the UAE and Egypt.”—
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/386135
** For the U.K., make that “RATHER INCONVENIENT and CERTAINLY NOT TO BE REPORTED”—
Since ALL is going to plan…
“British Jews Consider Exodus, Compare UK to Nazi Germany”—
https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/antisemitism-uk-jews/2024/03/02/id/1155718/ )
Hmmm. If this keeps up—as is the plan—might one expect Iran to exploit the situation—AKA Global Jihad?
…AS IS THE PLAN. (Woops, did I already say that?)
Not to worry, though: Decent Joe’s on top of it!
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2024/03/biden-now-defeated-by-cue-cards.php
Gantz….
Indeed, he’s flying to DC to sidle up to the salad bar….
The only question is whether “Biden” will succeed in fracturing the Israeli government…
“Israel’s ambassador instructed not to join Gantz in DC meetings;
“Ambassador Michael Herzog told not to deal with Minister Gantz’s visit to Washington in any way due to alleged failure to properly clear visit with PM Netanyahu.”—
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/386129
(The ONLY question?)
“…not caving…”
Unfortunately, these things are like the weather…the question being HOW might “Biden”—in “his” infinite wisdom (and LOVE)—force Israel to bend.
The Israelis Left has mobilized to bring Netanyahu DOWN; and there can be NO DOUBT that this is with “Biden”‘s support and encouragement (Jack Lew riding shotgun on this one); with Lloyd Austin ready and waiting to earnestly recite and emblelish and every useful falsehood.
Yep, “Biden”‘s primed and ready!
(Besides, “he” could very much use another serious distraction at this point…)
+ Bonus:
“Escalation Towards an Independent Terrorist State”—
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20450/independent-terrorist-state
The Israelis Left has mobilized to bring Netanyahu DOWN; and there can be NO DOUBT that this is with “Biden”‘s support and encouragement (Jack Lew riding shotgun on this one); with Lloyd Austin ready and waiting to earnestly recite and emblelish and every useful falsehood.
I’m pretty sure that the efforts to bring Bibi down were behind the Oct 7 intelligence failure,
Oops! That should be “embellish”…..
– – – – – – – – – –
Anyway…
Indeed, one might do worse than conclude, with Tony Badran(1) and Lee Smith(2) that something very foul, rotten and toxic has been oozing out of the “Biden” administration since 2021—especially given the funding that resumed to flow into Palestine and Iran (and Lebanon), along with “Biden”‘s DEMAND that Israeli take positive steps to improve the lives of Gazans—and Palestinians, generally—by allowing increasing numbers of them to work in Israel…together with Jake Sullivan’s triumphalist nonsense about how quiet the region had become under “Biden”‘s policies(!) published about nine days before the attack, a kind of “Take THAT! You Trump—and Abraham Accord—SUPPORTERS: anything that beast can do, we can do better, etc…”.
In fact, given the extraordinary perversity of “Biden”‘s across-the-board destructive efforts, AND “his” extreme animus towards the Jewish State (and, for that matter, towards the United States as well—there IS a connection, by the way), AND—ESPECIALLY—the reset toward Iran (which is a euphemism for “Biden”‘s ALLIANCE WITH THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC), it would be foolish to believe that the “Biden” administration had NO IDEA what was going on, even if “it”—perhaps didn’t fully anticipate the extent of the savagery and the butchery that took place (but even there, who’s to know for sure what they knew?).
Of especial “curiosity” is Blinken’s early-on blurb—which boilerplate I would assume was prepared in advance—regarding the need for BOTH SIDES to “show restraint” but which had to be deep-sixed when the extent of Hamas’s successful surprise attack, and the carnage and savagery they perpetrated became known.
Add to this the knee-jerk eagerness shown by “Biden” to exonerate Iran from having any connection to these events, in spite of the fact that there were meetings periodically between Iran, Hamas and Hezbullah in Lebanon throughout, along with training on the use of motorized power-gliders in that country, explained away by the American Ambassador to Lebanon as “hobbyists” just having fun…
Moreover, the article by the daughter of that accomplished CIA analyst, posted on this site last week(3), demonstrates the extraordinary degree of hostility and antagonism of American Intelligence Agencies towards Israel—of which there were previous hints, or more than hints—the full, grotesque extent of which her article reveals.
Given “Biden”s total dishonesty and his consistent, horrific, overarching policies of destructive “transformation”—THE “AUDACITY TO DESTROY”(?)—in every sphere and every realm, along with unbelievable levels of subterfuge and deceit, it can no longer be considered “conspiracy theory” to believe that “he” is capable of absolutely ANYTHING.
Unfortunately.
A major, major problem is that there are many in Israel and the US (and elsewhere) who still firmly believe that “Biden” is an ally of the Jewish State (often—if erroneously—phrased as “America’s strongest ally in the Middle East). It may have once been true. It was true UNTIL OBAMA.
It was true UNDER TRUMP.
It is NO LONGER THE CASE under “Biden”.
It would behoove Israel’s leaders to understand this rather unpleasant reality. (I’m certain that Netanyahu understands it.)
But then the question becomes: What to do about it? How to proceed? How to maneuver? How to break out of the bind?
To be sure, these are not questions for Israel’s leaders ONLY….
(1) https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/america-leaves-israel-eyeless-in-gaza
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/iran-america-october-massacre
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/was-bidens-speech-as-pro-israel-as-you-think
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/biden-back-doors-israel
(2) https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/biden-administration-tries-hide-knew-impending-massacre-leaving-iran-untouched-hamas-lee-smith
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/iran-america-october-massacre
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/the-israel-op
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/global-empire-of-palestine
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/qatar-cash-hostages-portfolio
(3) https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/my-mother-cia-antisemitism-israel
Anyone who doesn’t know the history of Israel and the Palestinians would look at the pictures of destruction in Gaza and be horrified. The place is a wasteland. Why is Hamas continuing to fight? Militarily, they have no chance. So, they must believe they are winning the propaganda war. All the anti-Israel protests here seems to bear that out.
I look at the pictures and feel horror. What a waste of life and property. The news bulletins say that there are a million or mor Palestinas in Gaza who are near starvation. It sounds plausible. Yet, when I see the pictures of the Palestinian refugees in southern Gaza, none seem gaunt or underfed, and their clothes are tidy and clean, not rags as one would expect. I have no doubt their lives are miserable, but that could end quickly if Hamas would just surrender.
To me the whole thing seems like a huge con by Hamas and Iran. They can’t win the war but are trying to turn the world against Israel by assuming the role of victims. They don’t care how many people die, or how much property is destroyed. All because Muhammed told them to hate the Jews. What lunacy.
J.J.:
The Palestinians have been conning the world for at least 75 years.
I sometimes think that it’s clear the Palestinians are not dumb – they are smart at propaganda and they are smart at terrorism – and if only that intelligence and drive could be directed to something more productive they might be doing quite well.
the tablet is perhaps the most on point publication in these matters what commentary used to be, the latter was largely cultural initially venturing deeper into politics, sadly publications like the Atlantic, which has titanic level category error seems to command more influence in certain circles,
the Husseini and Khalidi clans did extraordinarily well in these circumstance even under British Rule, the latter part of the mandate, after the Peel Commission, which whitewashed the former’s role, in the last portion there was Evelyn Barker who commanded the British garrison and pursued the jewish settlers in Operation Agatha, while having an affair with the wife of a leading Palestinian Activist, this might have triggered the King David Hotel bombing
Ah, Neo, you’re so right. If only they wanted to build or develop something instead of the devilish goal of tearing things down. It’s really hard to understand.
Humanity has these regressive forces and always has. You’d think in a time of instant communications and jet travel that some of the anti-Western Civ tendencies would change. Sadly, no.
The Palestinians have been conning the world for at least 75 years.
–neo
That’s my cue!
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We’ll make the world
Abandon reason
We’ll make them all believe that the Hamas
Is Momma Theresa
We are peaceful travelers
We’re waving our own knives
The truth will never find its way to your TV
We con the world
We con the people
We’ll make them all believe the IDF is Jack the Ripper
–“We Con the World”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KUcv452KbU
__________________________________
One of the pitch perfect parodies of all time, in this case sending up the faux moral rock righteousness of “We Are the World”.
Btw: At 3:14, that’s Caroline Glick in a keffiyeh, waving her own knife, when she was still young, hot and crazy.
huxley:
“Young, hot and crazy” – sounds like a subtitle for “Beach Blanket Bingo.”
Yes, I’d seen that clip before. It’s very clever.
Turns out there was more to the parody in the form of an SNL-like news story:
__________________________________
Knesset Member Haneen Zoabi [first Palestinian-Israeli woman elected to Knesset] who participated in the Flotilla to Gaza, says: “We were treated like terrorists.”
The IDF replied, “That is a lie. We did not treat them like terrorists, We didn’t give them cellphones or TVs and we didn’t pay for their college tuition.”
–“We Con the World — the Full Tribal Update”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNVeu-Iya34
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Hebrew really catches my ear. It’s fluid and melodic like French except instead of rolling the Rs, Hebrew does that great KH thing.
If it made any sense to learn it, I would think about it.
Re: Caroline Glick — young, hot and crazy.
neo:
No question, Glick is a serious woman for whom I have great respect. So, it was such a delight to see her kickin’ out the jams on a comedy show.
neo
Yup.
In my younger years I knew members of a Palestinian Christian family that originated in the West Bank. Many of them had grad degrees in STEM. The patriarch told them, well before the Six Day War, to get out of the West Bank, because Muslims would always be promoted over Christians. So, many family members made it to the US before the Six Day War.
The members of that family I knew are now dead, with the exception of one who came to the US for grad STEM degrees and has returned to the West Bank.
Very bright and very accomplished.
I am afraid to say that the vast manjority of the hostages are probably dead.
BrooklynBoy: or in such appalling condition that they cannot be released and will be killed as soon as their usefulness as leverage is over.
I hope the Israelis kick the crap out of them!