The Israeli leader is under pressure over course of the Gaza war but is doubling down on opposition to a two-state solution
Defiant Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on opposition to Palestinian statehood, deepening the divide with Israel’s closest international allies, as cracks in his wartime “unity” government became increasingly evident.
Anger with Netanyahu is also increasingly visible on the streets, even though there is broad public support for the war. On Saturday, protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Caesarea and Kfar Saba, some calling for bolder action to secure the release of hostages, and others demanding the prime minister step down.
One in Jerusalem held a placard that read: “Mothers’ cry: we will not sacrifice our children in the war to save the rightwing.”
Also, turn out at the polls. Certain Christian voting blocks think supporting Israel is critical for end of days prophecies. And some swing districts have old retirees that show up to vote and have sympathy for Israel.
Because Israel has put a great deal of effort into shaping US public opinion and controlling US politicians since the 1980s, when the Israeli left effectively rolled over and croaked, because the Israeli right knew the day would come when they'd need to stall for time while they finished up their genocide.
It seems like people genuinely do not know about the nukes that Israel definitely does not possess wink wink. Kinda changes the dynamic a little bit, I think.
Israel has spent decades building a powerful lobbying bloc in Washington. American-Israel PAC is one of the top 3 donors of Congress competing with NRA. They made ties with evangelicals and give free vacations to Israel for every politician. They establish ties with both major political parties and spend millions to defeat any congressman who criticizes Israel.
It seems weird that another country can lobby our government. Are there any others doing that? Russia? China? Like do they all have officially recognized lobbying groups?
Your fears are unfounded, and your quickness to jump to them is unsettling.
The US and UK rely on israel playing nice in order to maintain a base and foothold in the region.
If israel did or does anything that actually threatened either nation, the soft hand would firm up quickly. But to these leaders, the genocide of brown people is little more than a minor PR problem. Not an actually threatening problem for their countries. So they see no reason to risk their foothold.
UK's David Cameron: "to suggest there's genocidal intent? I do believe that's wrong"
They'll bend over backwards to support Israel, and people are asking what Israel has over the UK to make it so. At some point, answers will have to be given.
I just wish there was some historical example to show how it's wrong to eliminate an entire group of people. Then, they could teach the Israeli government that the systematic removal of a group of people is wrong. But none such example exists. We need to build a great hall that tells of the cost of life by war and hatred. It will be called the great Hall of Cost.
There were Zionists in Israel who were actually supportive of the Nazis, both because they hated the British that much, and because they thought that if the Nazis forced the Jews out of Europe, those Jews would move to Mandatory Palestine to take up arms and exterminate the Arabs.
The Stern Gang, otherwise known as the Lehi terrorist organization (and later integrated directly into the IDF as it formed) actually used Nazi race "science" to claim that Jews were a superior race and should exterminate the Arabs who lived in the area. The Stern Gang actually tried to field troops in support of the Nazis in Europe. They tried repeatedly until 1942. The Nazis said no.
Fun fact; Netanyahu's political party formed in the 1980s, as a fusion of two other right-wing parties. The first part leader and Netanyahu's mentor was a former member of Lehi, and as prime minister gave all surviving terrorists medals "for their service in creating the State of Israel".
The other two paramilitary organizations that folded into the IDF were also full of terrorists.
This shit has to stop.
Israël under Likoud has turned into a rogue state, fighting a ruthless war on Palistian people, justifying the war for its own corrupt leaders.
US and European governments must realize that Israel is not their ally anymore. It has become a liability and will not do anything for them
Both are true. It has always been the case, and yet Likud and the country at large have both definitely shifted hard to the right in the last 10 years.
The really tragic thing is that this is a unique opportunity to establish a Palestinian state with the kind of global support and Arab investment that it would need to succeed.
Most Israelis want nothing to do with an extended stay in Gaza. Another leader in Israel would be able to make it happen, along with ANY serious leadership from Palestine. Abbas is useless, and Haniyeh is delighted to send wave after wave of martyrs at Israel while cashing the aid checks.
Yeah but this kind of "opportunity" has presented itself many times over the history of Palestine and the "Arab world" has left them high and dry for their own benefit every time..
The US invasion of Afghanistan post 9/11 was a unique opportunity to establish democracy in Afghanistan. That didn't exactly work out.
Another leader in Israel would be able to make it happen, along with ANY serious leadership from Palestine.
There's the crux of the problem. There have been opportunities for a Palestinian state in the past. It failed because there isn't any good leadership among Palestinians. So I'm not sure how this is actually an opportunity for Palestinian statehood.
I think there's a lot of wishful thinking going on here. I wish this was a non-violent resistance movement lead by someone that believed in peace and democracy. Then a Palestinian state would be a no-brainer. But unfortunately that's just not the scenario. Palestinian leaders are corrupt and if a Palestinian state were declared it would likely be a failed state.
Afghanistan returning back to what it was before isn't as big a deal to Americans because it's not on the border of the US. A Palestinian failed state (which is basically what Gaza has been for the last decade and a half) would be on the border of Israel, within rocket range of any terrorist groups that can be supplied by Iran.
I wish this was a non-violent resistance movement lead by someone that believed in peace and democracy.
A lot of people don't know this, but they tried this in 2018. It was called the Great March of Return. Gazaans tried protesting non violently for weeks, and faced a fierce violent response, but it was largely ignored by international news.
I wish this was a non-violent resistance movement lead by someone that believed in peace and democracy.
Exactly how Netanyahu wants it. He and his Israeli government were instrumental in the growth of Hamas and the failure of more moderate Palestinian leadership.
This isn't even some wack conspiracy theory. It's his own words.
The previous attempts also failed because the offer of Palestinian statehood was not actually sovereign statehood. Israel continually insists that they alone will be in charge of security matters for a Palestinian state.
It failed because there isn’t any good leadership among Palestinians.
How so? There was Yasser Arafat until 2004.
I wish this was a non-violent resistance movement lead by someone that believed in peace and democracy. Then a Palestinian state would be a no-brainer.
We had that and it failed. The result is the West Bank.
This "failed state" Palestine would be the most free they have been in the better part of a century. Having a right of return, protections from illegal settlers, representation in the UN etc. The last free election in Gaza was also a narrow win for Hamas, and stability of statehood would be quite deradicalizing
Hell, even just control over their own electric, water, and internet access would be a game changer for Gaza.
probably because the good up-and-coming leaders either got shot by IDF or recruited by Hamas, since there's not much job prospects inside Palestine and Hamas smuggles supplies in
The US invasion of Afghanistan post 9/11 was a unique opportunity to establish democracy in Afghanistan. That didn’t exactly work out.
And people back then (me included) tried to get through to the Seppos that that's exactly what's going to happen. They said stuff like "It's going to be just like Germany", ignoring the social conditions that made, and still makes, Afghanistan quite distinct from Germany.
...just as you're doing right now: Palestine is not Afghanistan. If you subtract the conflict from all the polling numbers they're actually quite a bit more sensible than Floridians.
Are we still doing this narrative that the US wants Israel to stop? They have literally given them billions since they've started bombing. Any bullshit about hoping for palestinians is just trying to save face.
Yes? There's a huge amount of inertia in US-Israeli relations but it's very clear at this point that Biden is yanking the leash and trying to reel Netanyahu into a path towards peace. They aren't going to stop supplying weapons any time soon (if ever), the first step would be explicit restrictions on what the weapons could be used for, and we're still a very long ways from that being considered publicly.
Israel doesn't give a shit what anyone else wants them to do. They're going to continue slaughtering the Palestinians and taking their land until someone physically prevents them.
Biden is attempting to look compassionate for Leftist voters who are willing to abstain in November. The agenda is still to have a foothold in the middle east by supporting Israel. There's sizeable oil shipments that will be coming through Gaza soon, hence why Israel had to clear out all of the Palestinians from their homes to make way for the new pipeline installation.
I think the obscene amount of money we give them is more to do with our nation's whole 'military industrial complex' grift. Gotta keep those bombs blowing to keep the money flowing. As they say. I assume.
Netanyahu knows perfectly well that the US Administration are complete total bullshit masters that talk the talk whilst not walking the walk and that they're "relaxed about Genocide" as long as it's commited against non-whites (and for them nowadays Jews are whites).
It wasn't that long ago that in her speech in COP28 Kamala Harris said the US was putting pressure on Israel and then less than a week later the US vetoed in the UN Security Council a resolution for a Ceasefire in Gaza which would otherwise have passed.
(Also, I'm pretty sure that had Russia invaded a Post-Soviet state like Kazakhstan instead of a "white" one like Ukraine, the reaction from the Whitehouse would've been barelly audible).
Defiant Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on opposition to Palestinian statehood, deepening the divide with Israel’s closest international allies, as cracks in his wartime “unity” government became increasingly evident.
On Saturday, protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Caesarea and Kfar Saba, some calling for bolder action to secure the release of hostages, and others demanding the prime minister step down.
Over the weekend, Netanyahu sparred publicly – if indirectly – with US President Joe Biden, who for months has offered Israel almost unconditional support for its war in Gaza, at considerable political cost to his own administration, both in America and beyond.
Netanyahu’s spokesman claimed that in a phone call with Biden, the Israeli leader told the US president that his country’s security needs left no space for a sovereign Palestinian state.
Critics said the dispute proved a useful distraction from growing domestic tension about the limited achievements of Israel’s campaign in Gaza over three months into the war, the suffering of more than 100 Israelis still held hostage by Hamas, and the lack of a long-term plan for governing the enclave.
Critics include a member of Netanyahu’s own war cabinet, Gadi Eisenkot, a former chief of the Israeli military whose views carry particular moral authority because his 25-year-old son was killed fighting in Gaza.
The original article contains 1,091 words, the summary contains 217 words. Saved 80%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!
Netanyahu isn’t going to live forever and it is Israel that has an expiration date on it. It has become evidently clear that it cannot stand on its own without political, financial and military aid from western countries.
Yea maybe because over the course of the last many decades you've slowly stolen more and more land making a practical two state solution impossible without handing back land which we know they won't do.
Single state solution with equal representation for all is I think the outcome of all this BUT only if the current government is ousted.
TLDR; Hamas massacre was a wrong move that delays the establishment of a Palestinian state.
after Hamas is destroyed, Israel must retain security control over Gaza to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel, a requirement that contradicts the demand for Palestinian sovereignty
Israel would need to keep security control of all land west of the River Jordan. “That’s a necessary condition. It clashes with the principle of sovereignty but what can you do.
Netanyahu is doing the right move by putting his country's security above all.
A Palestinian sovereignty cannot be established because by all means it's a threat to Israel's security.
As an example, Hamas 07/10 massacre launched from a Palestinian sovereignty, called Gaza (Gaza received it's sovereignty just 18 years ago).
The peaceful quest for a Palestinian state is a just cause.
The quest for a Palestinian state is by all means not peaceful. It's brutal full of bloodshed from both sides.
As Keir Starmer has said, it is the undeniable right of the Palestinian people, and the only path to guarantee a just and lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.”
Palestinians don't look for peace, and as a consequence of this war, Israel is also don't.
The Palestinians only look for undoing the what so called "Nakba", a thing that will never happen, as long as Israel exists.
And Israel is looking for a security, by all means.
The UK’s position is very clear. A two-state solution, with a viable and sovereign Palestinian state living alongside a safe and secure Israel, is the best route to lasting peace.
Palestinian sovereign living alongside Israel = Israel is NOT safe and NOT secure.
As I wrote earlier, the Palestinians are not looking for peace.
The US has repeatedly said that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is the only path to rebuilding Gaza and ensuring Israel’s long-term security.
Palestinian state is NOT the only path to Israel's long-term security.
After more than three months, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 25,000 Palestinians
This is a clue for this article bias, as they didn't separated the number of Hamas militant casualties from Palestinian civilians casualties.
You know, I'm not actually taking your nonsensical take seriously, but lemme just say a few things:
Israel will never give Palestinians a state willingly; they'll need to be forced by either Palestinians themselves, the Arab world or the international community. This became obvious in 1996.
Gaza is still considered occupied by the UN.
Israel has never looked for peace. Again see 1996.
they’ll need to be forced by either Palestinians themselves, the Arab world or the international community.
It didn't work for 75 years, and only causes bloodshed from both sides, and the delay of a Palestinian state.
This became obvious in 1996
Unfortunately I don't understand the 1996 reference.
Israel has never looked for peace. Again see 1996.
Per by this comment, here is a list of peace offers which would grant the Palestinians a country of their own, they refused all of them (total of 22 offers):
1937 - Peel commission, rejected
1947 - Partition resolution, rejected
2000 - Camp David, rejected
2001 - Taba, rejected. Arafat starts the second intifada and a year later changes his mind.
2008 - Olmert offer, rejected
Hamas have tried to agree to boundaries Despite media attempts to portray it as a new Hamas charter, it is not. The new ‘policy document’ accepts the creation of a Palestinian state in 1967 borders, but still rejects Israel and claims its territory. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39775103
Here are some other noteworthy peace meeting or proposals from Israel to the rest if the Arab world, which were rejected
1919: Arabs of Palestine refused nominate representatives to the Paris Peace Conference.