US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have forced Israel into the position of having to accept defeat in the fight against Hamas terrorists in exchange for a small portion of the remaining Israeli hostages.
Under the terms of the hostage deal currently being discussed, Israel will withdraw from Gaza. Stay away from Hamas’ last stronghold in Rafah. and release thousands of convicted Palestinian terrorists, among other concessions.
In return, Hamas planned to release 33 of the remaining 133 hostages, with an emphasis on the elderly and infirm. In exchange for a permanent cease-fire, he will hold a large number of hostages. However, Israel could not restart the war even if it wanted to.
Most of the hostages, including most of the 100 or so believed to be still alive, will remain in Hamas hands. Terrorists will have strong incentives and attempts to kidnap Israelis and Americans in the future.
Israeli politicians from left to right understand exactly what the country faces.left-wing protesters chanted On Thursday, Israel will be forced to make a “rafah” choice: win the war or release some of its hostages.
On the right, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conservative coalition partners have threatened to leave the government if a deal is reached, but Israel’s tacit acceptance of the deal leaves it entirely uncertain whether it will happen. It’s up to Hamas.
Prime Minister Netanyahu himself continues to insist that Israel will enter Rafah and achieve its goal of destroying Hamas’ military and governance capabilities. But on Thursday, an Israeli government spokesperson subtly moved the goalposts.
Israeli spokeswoman Raquel Karamson was asked by Breitbart News whether Israel knew the proposed deal would cost it the war. Said Israel has not allowed Hamas to “expand” or “replenish” its military, implying that it will continue to exist.
Israel is in this position due to a variety of factors. Hamas has successfully manipulated the Israeli public into supporting weak hostage deals by releasing propaganda videos in which hostages demand their release.
The Israeli military has also made mistakes in the Gaza Strip, including the accidental deaths of seven humanitarian aid workers last month, drawing international condemnation and making it harder for Israel to continue fighting.
However, the main factor is US pressure. Indeed, in recent months, the Biden administration has withdrawn from any assistance to Israel other than arms deliveries, moving closer to Hamas’s negotiating position.
The change began late last year, when Biden began accusing Israel of indiscriminate bombing of Gaza. Blinken later suggested to world leaders at Davos, Switzerland, that Israel, in contrast to Arab countries, was not ready for peace.
The administration then broke with Israel at the United Nations and allowed the passage of a resolution abandoning the view that a cease-fire must be coupled with the release of hostages. Biden then called for an “immediate” ceasefire.
Biden and his aides have repeatedly opposed Israel’s attack on Rafah, citing humanitarian concerns. A more subtle motive was the desire to preserve Hamas as leverage to force Israel to accept a two-state solution at the end of the war.
Additionally, the regime began accusing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of human rights violations, citing pre-war actions, and allowed the International Criminal Court to prepare war crimes charges against Israel.
Indeed, the White House supported aid to Israel. But it did little to encourage Congress to pass it. In fact, the White House delayed the aid, claiming it was tied to aid to Ukraine and other issues, and delayed passage of the aid in Congress.
Hamas signaled this week that it still rejects the weak hostage deal on the table but intends to continue talks, perhaps to extract clearer commitments from Israel that it will not try to win a war in the distant future.
Unless Hamas somehow rejects the deal or Netanyahu’s government suddenly decides to risk losing U.S. support, the only possibility is that Israel will be defeated, at least in light of Israel’s own goal of annihilating Hamas. I can’t stop it.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. He is the author of a recently published e-book.The Zionist conspiracy (and how to join it)‘ is now available on Audible. He is also the author of an e-book. Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 US Presidential Election. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
