On Friday morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Office issued a statement saying: “Due to a lot of misreporting around the US-led ceasefire initiative, it is important to clarify a few points. Earlier this week, the United States shared with Israel its intention to put forward, together with other international and regional partners, a ceasefire proposal in Lebanon. Israel shares the aims of the US-led initiative of enabling people along our northern border to return safely and securely to their homes. Israel appreciates the US efforts in this regard because the US role is indispensable in advancing stability and security in the region.”
The statement concluded: “Our teams met Thursday, Sept. 26, to discuss the US initiative and how we can advance the shared goal of returning people safely to their homes. We will continue those discussions in the coming days.”
IT’S HOW BIDEN DOES BUSINESS
Remember how on May 31, President Joe Biden came out with a Gaza ceasefire deal which he suggested had been agreed to by the Israelis? He stated: “Now, after intensive diplomacy carried out by my team and my many conversations with leaders of Israel, Qatar, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern countries, Israel has now offered — Israel has offered a comprehensive new proposal. It’s a roadmap to an enduring ceasefire and the release of all hostages.”
Biden then went on to describe the Israeli proposal, which included an across-the-board surrender to Hamas’s demands, as the president presented it: “The first phase would last for six weeks. Here’s what it would include: a full and complete ceasefire; a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza; a release of a number of hostages — including women, the elderly, the wounded — in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.”
The only problem was that Israel had had nothing to do with the proposal that it supposedly submitted, and the Netanyahu government was already invested in pushing into southern Gaza, on the way to capturing the Rafah crossing to Egypt and the Philadelphi corridor that cut off weapons smuggling from Sinai to Hamas.
Turns out this outright lie on the part of the White House was not a bug. It’s a feature.
Axios’ Barak Ravid, the White House mouthpiece until a better president takes office, pushed this strategy that turns any consideration of an idea by Netanyahu into a policy shift:
“Netanyahu on Thursday walked back from a private understanding with the Biden administration and distanced himself from the proposal for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon presented by the US, France and other allies. … US officials said Netanyahu and his close confidants were directly involved in the formulation of the temporary ceasefire.”
Next, Ravid offered the familiar dogma: “The prime minister’s change, which comes after public threats by far-right ministers in his government and attacks by Israeli opposition leaders, could increase tensions with the Biden administration.”
In other words, the PM was ready to sign a deal allowing Hezbollah three weeks to recuperate from the string of blows they just received, and bring in Iranian weapons and ammunition to replace what was lost in more than a thousand Israeli airstrikes – but those right-wing extremists and the opposition leaders forced his hand.
Also forcing his hand: 70,000 evacuees from the north, and 90% of respondents to every conceivable opinion poll.
Except maybe there was no need to force any hands and the White House is, you know, lying?
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked Thursday, “If it was coordinated with the Israeli side and the expectation last night, as it was shared by senior US officials, was that the two sides would agree to this imminently, why are we hearing from the prime minister’s office today —”
Jean-Pierre hinted strongly that, you know, Bibi is a liar: “I’m just laying out the facts and what we know and what we want to avoid. We do not believe an all-out war is the answer, and we’ve been very clear about that. The president has been very clear about that. I just laid out the facts and what we’re trying to do. This is a clear call for a temporary ceasefire. We want to provide space. We talk about how di- — diplomacy is — the way to move forward. That’s what the president believes. I laid out that the statement was indeed coordinated with the Israeli side. I can’t speak for them. They will have to speak for themselves.”
They just did.
WHY NOW?
Here’s a question: how come this call for a ceasefire and increased diplomatic efforts comes only when Israel starts winning? For 11 months, Hezbollah has been pounding northern Israel for no reason other than the fact that Israel was trying to end the Hamas threat in Gaza. Other than Amos Hochstein shuttling between Beirut and Jerusalem, where was the US and European outcry? And where was it when Hezbollah murdered 12 Druze children on a soccer field in Majdal Shams? What, no UN resolutions?
The funny thing is that Israel is doing the UN’s bidding in Lebanon, in an attempt to enforce Resolution 1701 from 2006, which calls for Hezbollah to retreat to the north bank of the Litani River, some 28 kilometers from Israel’s border. So, what is there to negotiate? Hezbollah is in violation of the world’s will, and Israel won’t rest until it forces it to obey.
There’s another funny thing, which has to do with Netanyahu being one of the most gifted politicians in the world, and certainly in Israel. He managed to shift the public’s focus from the insane demands to “bring the hostages home now,” regardless of Israel’s present and future security needs, to “Return the evacuated Israelis to safe homes along the Lebanese border,” which is absolutely in concert with Israel’s security needs.
Remember, before he entered politics, Netanyahu was a furniture salesman. He can sell a knockout Sven closet to the CEO of Ikea. Remember how dedicated President Barack Obama was to destroying Bibi? Well, look around – who’s still sitting in the catbird seat?
