Israel agrees to ceasefire in Lebanon [see UPDATE]
I think that this might be an accurate summary:
There is no question that this is a better deal and that Israel has better leverage than in 2006; there is also no question that the formula for the next war is present in today’s ceasefire.
The ceasefire takes effect tomorrow:
A ceasefire in Lebanon was announced by the Israeli cabinet at 10:30 p.m. by a vote of 10 to 1, according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Presidents Biden and Macron will announce the deal during the night, with the agreement set to take effect at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
This comes after several days of strained last-minute negotiation, in which Israel pushed for the removal of France as guarantor of the security situation in Lebanon, citing current diplomatic tensions between France and Israel. …
An Israeli official told Maariv that the ceasefire was not the end of the war and that Israel maintained its right to respond to any threat.
The source also said that the severing of the connection between the Gazan and Lebanese fronts would leave Hamas isolated, something also highlighted by Netanyahu in his speech.
Sources told Saudi channel Al Hadath that there would be no buffer zone in South Lebanon according to the agreement.
I don’t quite understand what this is all about. Perhaps it’s a temporary pause in a war that might resume when a new and more cooperative US administration comes into office and Biden is gone. Maybe the IDF needs to rest and regroup – although this allows Hezbollah to rest and regroup, too. It certainly doesn’t solve the problem of Hezbollah, although the terror group is weakened. The pause may have something to do with focusing on Iran instead. It doesn’t seem to be a situation that would allow the evacuated northern Israelis to return to their homes, either.
UPDATE 4:50 PM
THis may shed some light on the subject:
“We will act,” the official promises, noting that Israel is accepting a ceasefire, not an end to the war.
“We don’t know how long [the ceasefire] will last,” the official says. “It could be a month, it could be a year.”
Netanyahu decided Israel had no choice but to accept a ceasefire out of a fear that the Biden administration could punish Israel with a United Nations Security Council resolution in its final weeks, asserts the official, though the US has not given any indication that it would do so.
Israel is also missing capabilities it needs from the US, including 130 D9 bulldozers, says the official.
You may recall that in its lame duck months (December 2016), the Obama administration did just that: punished Israel in the UN. Perhaps some of the same “advisors” are involved in the Biden/Harris administration. Back then:
The United States … abstained as the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution — vigorously opposed by President-elect Donald Trump and the government of Israel — that criticizes Israeli settlement construction in land claimed by the Palestinians for a future state.
The measure, though largely symbolic, was the first the Security Council has adopted on Israel and Palestine in roughly eight years, and it prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lash out against those who voted for it as well as President Barack Obama, a man with whom he’s long had chilly relations.
“The Obama administration not only failed to protect Israel against this gang-up at the U.N., it colluded with it behind the scenes,” the Israeli leader said in a statement, according to Reuters. “Israel looks forward to working with President-elect Trump and with all our friends in Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, to negate the harmful effects of this absurd resolution.”
Remember, that was in 2016. There may be a parallel situation now, or fear of one.
Haven’t seen the finalized version yet, but have seen that Israel has the right to invade again if the LAF and UNIFIL won’t do their jobs (which they won’t). How soon will Hezbollah want another Israeli ‘Can of Whoop-Ass’ opened on them?
Iran Update, November 25, 2024
Not sure where the “northern Israel” return option is at now – since briefly seeing some Israelis complaining.
The Israeli army is worn out. Enemy knows that capturing Israelis is a great tactic for them, so Northern Israel may never be safe again. West bank?? Iran is working overtime to get that option working — potential *SUPER DUPER HOSTAGE BONUS* situation there, IMHO.
Now Russia is helping Iran in their effort to destroy Israel. Many Americans on the Right support cutting Ukraine off, even tho they must know that this will help Russia to recover and grow strong again. A stronger Russia also means a stronger Iran.
Trump administration is apparently leaving it to Israel to weaken Iran militarily (taking out the NUKES), so Israel has a lot on it’s plate now and into the future…
Netanyahu decided Israel had no choice but to accept a ceasefire out of a fear that the Biden administration could punish Israel with a United Nations Security Council resolution in its final weeks
I hope this isn’t true, but it certainly wouldn’t surprise me.
What was quoted above, even if Netanyahu said it, is neither clear nor accurate.
To make it clearer:
To make it more accurate:
and john gill pops up with this
https://x.com/LeeSmithDC/status/1861534309556912557
of course we know who negotiated this deal, hochstein, one of the slimiest characters around with nabi berri, of whom I’ve spoken in the past,
Ted Cruz’s statement on the ceasefire deal: https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sen-ted-cruz-statement-on-israel-hezbollah-ceasefire
A fragment of the statement: