Netanyahu has until now – since October 7 - avoided meeting with any of the families whose loved ones are still being held by Hamas. But you may recall that when the four hostages were rescued last Saturday, Netanyahu couldn’t wait to be filmed and photographed hugging them, holding their hands, and making the empty promise that he will not stop until every hostage, dead or alive, returns home to their families.
Since Wednesday of this week, the attacks coming from Hezbollah into the North of Israel have escalated exponentially, and Netanyahu has sent lackeys to make nice to those whose houses have been destroyed, their economic stability fractured beyond repair, their mental health demolished. Because he can put less of a positive spin if everything is burning behind him in the shot, those are piss-poor visuals.
The US has urged de-escalation in the North, after Hezbollah launched over 215 rockets, in response to Israel’s targeted termination of a senior Hezbollah commander, Taleb Sami Abdullah. A Pentagon spokesperson said, “We don’t want this to escalate to a broad regional conflict.”
So far, 10 Israeli civilians in the North have died, as well as 15 IDF soldiers. It is getting harder and harder to put out the political and literal fire in the North.
The same can be said for this round of futile hostage-prisoner exchange negotiations. If this process were a kindergarten, it would go something like this:
Teacher (US): Now kids, I want you to learn how to share and play nicely, otherwise you won’t get your afternoon snacks.
Israel: But Teacher, Hamas wants to kill us, he said he was going to “genocide” me when we were playing outside before.
Hamas: Liar! Israel is always blaming me for a fight that he started. I was just sitting there in the sandbox, taking all his toys and throwing sand in his eyes, when he told me to stop and pushed me away. Now I don’t get any snacks and it’s all Israel’s fault! (Starts crying)
Teacher: Oh, poor Hamas. Israel, I think you should apologize, and give Hamas all your snacks.
Israel: That makes no sense!
Teacher: (Whistling) What did you say? I wasn’t paying attention.
OK, let’s write up a social contract and you will both sign it, where you promise to treat each other with respect.
Hamas: No, no, no. We said no in January. We said no in February, we said no in March, we said no in April, we said no in May, and we say no, now.
Teacher: How about if Israel promises to allow itself to be the victim of your bullying for the next 50 years, and you promise to return all the toys that you broke, eventually, when it’s good for you?
Israel: But, we never agreed to that!
Teacher: (Whistling) What did you say? I wasn’t paying attention.
Israel: (Begrudgingly) OK, fine, we will agree to this draft.
Hamas: OK, we just have a few details we want to iron out. (Scribbles on the document so it’s unreadable) Here you go.
Israel: WTF, we can’t agree to this!
Hamas: See, it’s all Israel’s fault! I know you are but what am I? (Mutters to self: I kinda enjoy all this attention, so I wasn’t really keen on this agreement myself. I didn’t really mean it when I said yes.)
Israel: I know you are but what am I? (Mutters to self: I kinda enjoy getting all this attention, so I wasn’t really keen on this agreement myself. I didn’t really mean it when I said yes.)
Biden’s Secretary of State Blinken expressed frustration with Hamas, wondering out loud why they waited two weeks to give any response, and then purposely sabotaging the agreement. Hamas whined that the changes they want “are not significant,” and Blinken indicated to Hamas and to Qatar that they are losing patience. Among Hamas’ unreasonable demands and additions:
1. Hamas wants absolute veto power over the list of prisoners to be released, preferring those who have been jailed longer IE those who have blood on their hands.
2. Retreat of IDF control from key roads in Aza, so that displaced Gazans may return to the Northern areas.
3. A guarantee by the United States that this deal with give them a permanent and immediate truce, an end to the war, rather than a prolonged cease fire.
Meanwhile in New York City, Hamas minions, the pro-Palestinian Group Within Our Lifetime, staged a brutal protest in front of The Nova Party exhibition, commemorating the 360+ innocent Israeli citizens who were massacred on October 7.
Protesters set off flares, flew Hamas and Hezbollah flags, wore kafiyahs, and carried signs and banners reading, “Long live October 7” and “The Zionists are not Jews and not humans.”
That same day on the New York subway, a rowdy group of kafiyah-wearing passengers took over a car, shouted, “Raise your hand if you’re a Zionist, this is your chance to get out!” That is so Germany 1938, classic Brownshirt intimidation tactics.
Anne Frank, who was born June 12, 1929 and would have celebrated her 95th birthday this past Saturday, wrote:
“I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness; I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.”
How I pray for that day.