The Biden administration is playing a shell game with the Gaza ceasefire that aims to trick the Democratic base into thinking meaningful action is taking place to end fighting while still allowing Israel to continue its genocidal campaign. by Mitchell Plitnick, Mondoweiss, June 15, 2024 https://mondoweiss.net/2024/06/blinkens-lies-about-hamas-rejecting-a-ceasefire-reveal-the-biden-administrations-true-intentions/ . . . That has been the sticking point all along. In essence, Israel wants a deal that frees the hostages and also allows it to “finish the job.” Hamas, quite reasonably, wants the slaughter and siege to end, Israel to withdraw, and reconstruction to immediately commence.
Neither side is ambiguous about this. “The Hamas response reaffirmed the group’s stance [that] any agreement must end the Zionist aggression on our people, get the Israeli forces out, reconstruct Gaza, and achieve a serious prisoners swap deal,” a Hamas official told Reuters <https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/11/hamas-and-pij-submit-response-to-un-backed-gaza-ceasefire-plan>. That has been the group’s position <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67797747> since the last temporary truce and hostage exchange in November. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also held fast <https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/01/europe/netenyahu-ceasefire-hamas-contradiction-biden-intl/index.html> to his position that Israel will not stop its onslaught until all its aims have been achieved. Indeed, when the UNSC passed its ceasefire resolution this week, Israel reiterated this position, as its representative to the UNSC meeting, Reut Shapir Ben Naftaly, said after the vote <https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15723.doc.htm>: “We will continue until all hostages are returned and until Hamas’ military and governing capabilities are dismantled.” This is consistent not only with Israel’s talking points throughout the Gaza genocide but also with statements from Netanyahu even after Biden presented what he claimed was Israel’s proposal. The day after Biden presented the proposal, Netanyahu’s office stated <https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/01/europe/netenyahu-ceasefire-hamas-contradiction-biden-intl/index.html>, “Under the proposal, Israel will continue to insist these conditions [which the statement described as “the destruction of Hamas military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages, and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel”] are met before a permanent ceasefire is put in place. The notion that Israel will agree to a permanent ceasefire before these conditions are fulfilled is a non-starter.” That directly contradicts Biden’s proposal, which both the President and Blinken have sold as a plan for achieving a permanent ceasefire, making no mention of these conditions. Indeed, the conditions Israel set forth are not possible within any conceivable ceasefire — certainly not one that Hamas would ever say “yes” to. . . . *Biden’s real red line* Despite the constant disdain that Biden, Blinken, and the entire administration have shown for Palestinian lives, it has become clear that their support for Israel’s genocide is hurting them politically. Yet even the obviously feigned concern they occasionally try to show for Palestinian civilians has not sat well with the pro-Israel corner <https://www.axios.com/2024/05/29/biden-democrats-israel-gaza-dmfi> of the Democratic party <https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2024-05-09/hollywood-mega-donor-haim-saban-bidens-weapons-israel-hamas-gaza-rafah> . This creates a dilemma. All things being equal, they would, at this point, prefer to see Israel stop the genocidal campaign, and have tried to convince Netanyahu to do so. All their pleas have fallen on deaf ears in Israel, and it has been embarrassing for Biden and his spokespeople <https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv22pl9p212o> to have to answer reporters’ questions after each massacre, explaining how Israel has not crossed their so-called “red lines.” Many have observed that what this amounts to is having no red lines at all <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTyogFIz-5Q>. But that’s not quite right. There is one red line that Biden will not cross. He will not stop arms shipments to Israel or use any other means to actually force Israel to stop what it’s doing. That is the true red line in all of this. . . . Hoping Biden will put actual pressure on Israel is a fool’s errand. Few conceivable events would be more shocking than a halt to arms shipments or trade restrictions from the U.S. That’s exactly why protest movements all over the world, including in the United States and Europe, must join their calls for a ceasefire with demands for an arms embargo, as well as boycotts, divestment, and, especially sanctions. . . . -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#30781): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/30781 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/106699032/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
