Secretary of State Antony Blinken is wrapping up a whirlwind trip to the Middle East this week. Meeting Joined by the Israeli president and relatives of American hostages held by Hamas as they left a beachfront hotel in Tel Aviv and shook hands with protesters gathered outside.
He looked them in the eye and said there’s a new one Hostages in exchange for ceasefire agreement on the negotiating table where Hamas should take action.
He said: “Bringing your loved ones home is at the heart of everything we do and we will not rest until everyone – men, women, soldiers, civilians, young, old – is home. ”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has avoided publicly expressing sympathy for frustrated protesters since the war broke out in October.Recently, he has focused his latest public comments on the looming ground offensive – the invasion of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza ‘With or without’ ceasefire agreementAs the Israeli leader said on Tuesday.
Although this is not the first time Netanyahu has pledged to invade Gaza, Hamas’s last stronghold, U.S. officials were surprised by the timing of the comments. Threatening an offensive against Rafah could put pressure on Hamas to accept the deal – but only if Hamas leaders believe that releasing Palestinian prisoner hostages and a six-week pause in fighting can ultimately lead to a permanent ceasefire and avoid a pullback. Bloody fighting in France Officials say more than a million displaced Gazans have sought refuge there.
Nearly seven months into the war, the stated goals and diplomatic efforts of the United States and Israel appear to be farther apart The gap continues to widen at the domestic political behest of President Biden and Mr Netanyahu.
Biden and his top aides envision a path that would require Hamas to release about three dozen hostages within weeks; a temporary ceasefire between the two sides and the permanent release of one or more hostages; major Arab countries including Saudi Arabia agree Engage in reconstruction and security efforts, as well as normalizing diplomatic relations with Israel.
Israeli officials have recently shown some flexibility on the terms of the ceasefire, saying they would reduce the number of hostages Hamas must release in the first round from 40 to 33.
However, despite Israel’s concessions on these issues, Mr Netanyahu has rejected the idea of a permanent ceasefire and doubled down on his public vows to root out Hamas and what he says remain in Rafah of many militants—despite widespread belief among U.S. officials that his goals were unattainable.
U.S. officials opposed the invasion of Rafah and said Israel should conduct precision operations against Hamas leaders rather than large-scale attacks. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken reiterated the United States’ “clear position” on Rafah when he met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
The pressure on the Biden administration is also evident. As opposition grows over his unwavering support for Israel in the war, Biden’s liberal voting coalition could fray, jeopardizing his chances of defeating Republican nominee Donald J. Trump in November . Student protests against Biden’s policies on U.S. college campuses and the resulting police crackdowns have thrust the issue further into the spotlight.
The United States finds itself deflecting criticism from Arab partners and governments in Asia, Africa, and Latin America and shielding Israel from pro-Palestinian resolutions at the United Nations. Amid calls against Washington’s hypocrisy, Biden’s support for Israel will clearly make it harder for him to win support for U.S. policies aimed at achieving Israel’s goals. Confront Russia and Chinaespecially in countries in the southern hemisphere.
Mr. Blinken is addressing these challenges.Monday, his first day at work Current trip to the Middle EastIn a meeting with Arab and European officials in the Saudi capital Riyadh, he turned the discussion to hostage release and plans for Gaza’s post-war reconstruction. The next day, he made humanitarian aid the theme of his visit to Jordan.
Asked by reporters about Netanyahu’s insistence on launching an offensive against Rafah, Blinken said a ceasefire agreement and humanitarian aid were the “focus” of U.S. efforts.
Israeli protesters outside Blinken’s Hotel in Tel Aviv felt the same way. They are placing their hope in the U.S. government, not themselves, to end this crisis. On October 7, approximately 1,200 Israelis were killed and approximately 250 were taken hostage in a Hamas-led attack. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in retaliatory air strikes and ground incursions by Israeli forces.
Protesters chanted “SOSUSA, only you can save the world.” “Thank you, Biden, thank you, Blinken.”
Biden and Netanyahu are also clashing over what Americans call a long-term political solution to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The United States is developing a plan to get Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries to agree to normalize relations with Israel, but only if the Israeli government commits to a concrete path and a clear deadline to establish a Palestinian state. Mr Netanyahu, like many Israelis, opposes this.
Still, Biden has maintained his overall support for Israel in the war, and he has placed no conditions on Israel. Military aid or arms salesor even something centrist foreign policy analyst and calls from former U.S. officials.
Despite declining international and domestic standing, Netanyahu remains firmly in power and faces a series of seemingly mutually exclusive options. He is caught between competing pressures from the Biden administration and far-right members of his governing coalition, whose support is crucial to his administration’s survival.
His far-right ministers have threatened to resign if the long-touted Operation Rafah is suspended. Ultranationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich describe The hostage deal on the table is “a dangerous capitulation for Israel and a horrific victory for Hamas.” Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gver said on Tuesday he had “warned” Mr Netanyahu of the consequences of not entering Rafah and agreeing to a “reckless deal” to end the war.
Centrists who joined Netanyahu’s government in October have said they will not tolerate decisions based on political considerations rather than national interests, bringing broader popular legitimacy to the government’s war effort.
The Israeli public simultaneously longs for the return of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas, although they are divided over the prospects of absolute victory.
A polling A program commissioned this week by Israeli public broadcaster Kan showed that 54% of respondents favored a preliminary deal to release the most vulnerable hostages during a 40-day ceasefire. Nearly half of those surveyed (47%) said they would support a comprehensive deal for all hostages and an end to the war.
“Netanyahu’s political future depends on the outcome of the war,” said Nachman Shea, a former government minister and expert on Israeli diplomacy and security. “He can’t juggle all the balls.”
Netanyahu’s critics say he is currently indecisive. Some say he relied on the leadership of Hamas to reject the hostage deal on the table, others say he is being held hostage by far-right ministers in the government. Both views may be valid.
A political cartoon published Wednesday in the popular Hebrew newspaper Novaya Gazeta showed Netanyahu sitting at a desk labeled “Prime Minister of Israel,” reviewing a hostage deal proposal and declaring, “My manager We will never agree to this proposal.”
