Yes, a People that is supposedly suffering from genocide and famine is tripping over itself to buy iPhone17s, including gold plated iphones with embedded diamonds. They can afford to pay upwards of $10000 for the newest fancy iPhone, or $2500 or so for more basic models, but they cant afford to buy food and are starving?

I hope Israel at least has these rigged for potential future "beeper" style use should it be necessary...

I dont know about all that. The apology definitely does not bother me. That is diplomacy. Netanyahu is beholden to President Trump, Israel's last supporter, he has to do what Trump wants, and that is what Trump needs to have any chance of getting this deal underway. The apology does not bother me. This is a small price to pay to have any chance at all to get the deal underway.

Netanyahu tried to convince the Israeli people the operation in Qatar was not a failure saying Hamas now knows they can't hide and are not safe anywhere. And he said explicitly that he would strike again if and when the opportunity presents itself. I think today's apology and commitment to not attack again contravenes that.

I am good with Netanyahu making this deal. Israel is strong and can handle and deal with any and all of the points that will be finalized and agreed upon. I have thought this all along with other deals on the table at other times and think it now. Those attacking it from the Left are somewhat hypocritical, those attacking it from the Right are not hypocritical but those on the Right making and supporting the deal that is similar in many aspects to the deals they refused to consider all along for ending the war are hypocritical too. For many on the Left, whatever Bibi says is bad even if they supported it all along and it matches their own agenda. For many on the Right whatever Bibi says is great even if just yesterday they criticized the very thought of it and it was supposedly the polar opposite of their agenda. 

For those saying it will allow Hamas to perpetrate another October 7, that means they are planning to abandon Israel's borders again and leave them defenseless. Israel is strong enough to protect its borders if it wants to (of course with God's help). We are only at risk of another October 7 if we go back to the old policies of letting Hamas do whatever it wants in exchange for some sense of quiet. Make the deal that is reasonable, end this too-long-war and get back the remaining hostages,, and rehab the country.

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Everyone says how PM Benjamin Netanyahu is the worlds leading statesman, with nobody having the diplomatic capabilities that he has, definitely not in Israel but also on the world stage. Yet through the rubble and mud of Gaza, justified as it is, Netanyahu has succeeded in turning just about the entire world against us. He still has some of America (and fewer every day) and Argentina behind him, but not much else.

One of Netanyahu's main life goals was to prevent a Palestinian State from being formed, Bar Ilan speech notwithstanding. He has worked very hard over the past 3 decades to prevent it, including moves like building up Hamas to prevent the PA from having too strong of a leadership position among the Palestinians (this strategy eventually turned on him when Hamas became a group of powerful monsters). I find it ironic that Netanyahu himself is going to be responsible for the world recognition of the Palestinian State for running this war with no real consistent strategy or goals and getting mired down into a deteriorating situation with partners pushing him to continue seemingly endlessly. The only goals the world hears about are the goals stated by his partners Smotritch and Ben Gvir (and their ministers) to clean out Gaza, to resettle Jewish communities in Gaza, to stop humanitarian aid, and the like, and the world considers that to be ethnic cleansing and genocidal. And because of all that more and more countries, important ones, are saying they are going to recognize a Palestinian State in the very near future. 

Some of you are not going to like this and will call me a Leftist, but this is the current reality, like it or not.

Thank you Prime Minister. Good job.

That being said, the one thing I wonder about, before the starvation campaign as well but more so now with the starvation campaign, is where are these brilliant marketers and public relations people in Gaza and in Hamas coming out with the fake images and the powerful messaging, immediately capturing the hearts and minds of almost the entire world.

Israel has destroyed Gaza. Israel has killed much of the Hamas senior leadership in Gaza. Israel has killed out much of the command structure of the Hamas military wing. Who out there in Gaza is the brilliant marketer, or on the brilliant marketing PR team, that comes out with these messages and campaigns, that generates and publicizes the fake Pallywood videos and images? Who are they and where are they hiding? This terrorist organization has people who know how to create these campaigns and bring nearly the entire world to their side? Why has Israel not yet taken out these brilliant marketing agents of Hamas? 

Obviously we all know Israel has not invested an agora in marketing and public relations. the Israeli government has let that fall by the wayside. The few people they brought in they eventually fired. Israel relies mostly on several volunteer activists - they dont really rely on them they just benefit from their freelance work. They dont rely on them because the Israeli government seems to not care about that at all. Was there a counter campaign against the starvation campaign? I think PM Netanyahu made one statement about the lies, well after it was too late. Did Israel do anything to stave it off, to show it to be incorrect?

Maybe if Israel would allow independent international journalists in to Gaza to report on the war they would be putting out the truthful images and comment on whether or not there is actually real starvation and hunger and it would not just be our word against theirs.. 

But the main point of this is where is the Hamas Creative Agency with its brilliant marketers and PR people, and why has Israel not disabled them already a long time ago? How do they continue to function "on a dime" while the rest of Gaza and Hamas continues to be destroyed and dismantled increasingly every day?

  -- Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu

good? bad? if you agree with the sentiment expressed you can't really be upset that the world (including the ilk of Piers Morgan) gets upset that it looks like Israel is trying to wipe out Gaza and kill tens of thousands of children... the ministers of the government repeatedly say that this is their intention and objective...

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Good riddance. France can take in as many Gazans as are willing to leave. Enjoy.

This can help Trump's plan of voluntary emigration from Gaza. It seems nobody really wanted the Gazans and nobody was willing to accept and receive them in any significant numbers. France can be a good solution to get that program back on the table. I would only recommend the French Jews get out before too many Gazans move there. Maybe we can do a population swap (voluntary, of course)

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I am not so sure what Greta Thunberg is smiling so widely about after her flotilla was taken over by the IDF. Maybe it exists but I dont remember ever seeing a picture of her smiling - she always looks so angry - let alone smiling so broadly. Maybe it is the "pastrami" (turkey pastrama) sandwich being handed to her by a soldier (she's a vegan), maybe it is the plastic the sandwich is wrapped in, maybe it is the thinking that they outsmarted the Israelis by throwing the electronics into the sea before being captured by the IDF (which the IDF supposedly recovered immediately), or maybe it is something else, but I am happy she is happy and I am happy this did not become a disaster but was handled quietly and well and is hopefully will remain a non-story 

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While it seems unlikely the flotilla and the aide they are carrying will make it to Gaza, I also am pretty sure that this will somehow become another PR disaster for Israel.

How do you think Israel should handle this?

Looking for both funny and smart answers...

I think the boat sinking for unknown reasons in open waters with Israel not having anything to do with it would be the best possible solution to this agitator and agitation...

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no, it is not another Hamas invasion. According to the reports, it is the production set of the hit Israeli tv show Fauda filing for the upcoming season..

I hope they don't cause lots of people to relive the trauma of October 7 showing similar things on the tv screen.... I wonder if it is too soon for that, and I just hope they know what they are doing...

Golan said, "Israel is on the path to becoming a pariah state among the nations – like the South Africa of old – if it does not return to behaving like a sane country. A sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies for a hobby, and does not set goals involving the expulsion of populations.”

Golan never said anything about the IDF and didnt accuse them of killing babies, but was in context talking about the government and what they are trying to do. After his statement created an uproar with everyone upset at him accusing the IDF of killing babies as a hobby and blaming him for antisemitism around the world, Golan held a press conference in which he clarified his statement stressing he is speaking against the government and not against the IDF.

Why is he speaking against the government like this? Because Ministers Ben Gvir and Smotritch, both senior Cabinet ministers, have been talking about annihilating Gaza, wiping it out, killing all the residents, etc. Minister Wasserlauf recently said again that an atom bomb should be dropped on Gaza. Moshe Feiglin, a former Likudnik and one who aspires to make a grand return, said explicitly we have to kill all the babies in Gaza. Other MKs in the government coalition have been making similar statements, and right wing reporters who hold influence in the government have as well.

I get they are attacking Golan because he is an easy target and an easy deflection from their own issues. Just like I wouldn't accuse someone who reported a crime of making a chilul hashem (I am thinking of an accusation commonly made against those who report sexual abuse crimes and the like) but the perpetrator of the crime is the one who made the chilul hashem, so Golan isnt guilty of claiming the government or IDF is killing babies, but the ministers calling for it are.

So why was Golan acting irresponsibly? 

Yair Golan holds an important position. His star is rising in the face of a weak Opposition. He has been raising the Labor and Meretz parties (jointly making up what is now known as the Democratim) from about 4 seats to polling at around 15, and what could be a force in a future Knesset or even government. He himself is also a former Deputy Chief of Staff and a hero for his actions on October 7 going south and saving lives, making his voice an important one that carries weight. 

So what was irresponsible? He should have chosen his words better. He should have spoken clearly and unequivocally, if he felt it was necessary to speak up, without leaving room for misinterpretation. There should have been no need for calling a press conference to clarify what he said - he should have said something like that clearly in the first place. 

If you dont think Israel should wipe out everyone in Gaza including babies, you should be upset at the members of the government who continue to campaign for that. And if you agree with Ministers Smotritch and Ben Gvir and with the others who have been speaking similarly, why are you upset at Golan for saying that this is what the government seems to want to do?

Golan spoke irresponsibly but not incorrectly

Netanyahu made two statements in direct opposition to the desires and even demands of his coalition partners.

In a meeting to the Security and Foreign Affairs Committee about the upcoming Draft Law, Netanyahu said that within two years we will draft 10500 Haredim, for the first time ever. This is the number of Haredim the IDF is able to absorb. There will also be serious personal and institutional sanctions if they dont meet the quotas. We will take care that anyone going in to the IDF as Haredi can leave the IDF as a Haredi. I greatly respect those who learn Torah, but the time has come for the Haredim to give back more.

The other thing PM Netanyahu said is, "I know there are those who have dreams of resettling Gaza with Jewish settlements - I dont want to disappoint you [but it isnt going to happen]". Netanyahu has said this several times before since the war began, but only closer to the beginning of the war, not since he adopted the newer strategy of raining hell on Gaza and conquering the land to hold it..Going back to war with this new official strategy (even though it looks like it still isnt yet being employed) raised hopes in some that this is our chance...

I dont know what's going on that Netanyahu suddenly seems to be openly trying to upset his coalition partners... reports are speculating that he will soon dismantle the government and call for elections and that is why he is setting some strong positions to campaign on. I dont know if that is true or not - I thought he should have done so long ago.

 

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🔥 MUST WATCH 🔥
🇺🇸🇮🇱 Trump Press Conference Today FULL Segment on Hostages. pic.twitter.com/1sG2fg53hT

— George Free🎗️ (@RealGeorgeFree) February 11, 2025

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  -- US President Donald Trump

I guess it was not clear from the beginning so one cannot really say the plan is changing, but just yesterday PM Netanyahu issued a clarification in an interview saying Palestinians will be able to return, upon committing to not be involved in terror.