of The New York Times The paper published an analysis on Friday arguing that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “gone out of control” by killing, rather than condoning, terrorists who have murdered Israeli citizens.
This article by Steven Erlanger was just one of many published in center-left media in both Israel and the United States on Friday accusing Prime Minister Netanyahu of pursuing victory at the expense of a ceasefire and hostage deals.
Erlanger quoted “analysts” as saying: I have written:
The assassinations of senior Hezbollah and Hamas leaders abroad have sharply increased the risk of a larger regional war as Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah prepare to retaliate, analysts say.
…
But with the war lacking a clear goal, Netanyahu’s defiance is dividing Israel from its allies and from the country itself. It is further undermining confidence in his leadership and raising suspicions that he is pushing the country to a state of war to stay in power. Deep rifts are opening up within society over the fate of Israeli hostages, the conduct of the war, and the rule of law, undermining the institutional bonds that hold Israel together.
After a rocket fired by the Iran-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah killed 12 innocent children in the Druze Arab village of Majdal Shams last Saturday, fighting back against Hezbollah became an absolute necessity for Israelis.
Eliminating Hezbollah’s second-in-command in a targeted strike was a way to make Hezbollah pay a cost and rebuild deterrence, rather than risk a major ground battle and the civilian casualties that would come with it.
So was Israel’s apparent attack on Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, a billionaire who ordered the murder of thousands of Israelis and Palestinians while living in luxury. (President Joe Biden, who wants to stop the war without waiting for an Israeli victory, said the death of the arch terrorist was “useless.”)
Netanyahu’s opponents in the United States and Israel have been leaking information to the media about Biden’s displeasure and the Israeli security chief’s obvious annoyance.
Barak Rabid of Axios (a resolutely anti-Netanyahu, anti-Trump voice) report Biden is “unhappy” with Netanyahu, Israel’s Channel 12 reported. Said Israeli security officials urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to accept the hostage deal.
By Biden’s own admission, Hamas is responsible for the collapse of the hostage deal because it insisted on an end to the war as a condition for the return of some (but not all) of the hostages. Such a deal would have armed Hamas and allowed it to take power in Gaza.
But this is an election year, and Biden would prefer to find ways to appease Iran and its terrorist proxies, which critics say is exactly what got the Middle East into disaster in the first place.
Joel B. Pollack is executive editor of Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday The show airs Sunday nights from 7 to 10 p.m. (4 to 7 p.m. ET) on SiriusXM Patriot. He is the author of “Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” which is available for preorder on Amazon. He also wrote,Trumpian virtue: The lessons and legacy of Donald Trump’s presidency” is available on Audible. He is the 2018 recipient of the Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter. Joel Pollack.
