Netanyahu had a very unpleasant and somewhat shocking meeting with the hostage families. It was recorded and leaked to the press. Sara Netanyahu also joined the fray with some controversial comments. Netanyahu and wife did not win any points for this. Here are the exchanges that…
— Shaiel Ben-Ephraim (@academic_la) August 24, 2024
this is sad and upsetting. Honestly, I initially saw an excerpt of this conversation and assumed it was just a parody of what "might happen" in such a meeting. At the time I didnt realize it had actually happened..
And still, I think the blame on Netanyahu for not coming to a deal is a bit overdone. If Hamas is not willing, there is not much Netanyahu can do, though he should be more flexible and offer more to get them back. I dont know what the red liens should be, but getting the hostages back, and as many of them as possible while still alive, should be the utmost priority... and dont forget, it is part of the "total victory" that Netanyahu laid out way back when...
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I really don't see the big deal here. Pretty much everything reported in Bibi's name makes perfect sense and doesn't seem offensive at all. I can't speak for Sara, but she's not the prime minister.
ReplyDeleteThe hostage families, with the encouragement of the "We hate Bibi" gang, are using this as a weapon against him. Nothing he can say will satisfy them. Their current demand - give Hamas whatever they want no matter what the cost - is not something he could ever do and when he points that out, they blame him for the mess.
ReplyDeleteGetting the hostages back is very important, but at what cost? The last significant hostage exchange deal agreed to by Israel can be seen as having led directly to this war - was Gilad Shalit's life worth all the lives lost on and since October 7?;;just think about it - absent that deal, Sinwar is still in jail, unable to plan it and lead Hamas - and that's not even mentioning all others killed by terrorists freed in the Shalit deal well before October 7.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it's a difficult situation - but while I definitely think Netanyahu should go, he's not wrong on this issue.
I am not sure it is the hostage deal that led to this war even though Yihye Sinwar was released in that deal. A greater effect was probably the governments' (all/most of the governments since then, and since 2005 or since 1994) policies regarding Hamas and Gaza and how to handle them. I think that was the greater effect than the hostage deal. Just like Oslo and the disengagement led to this. Sure, they started the process but had the governments dealt with Gaza the way they promised they would rather than the way they did, things would also be different
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