Netanyahu sets terms for peace – at the point of a spear
Netanyahu spoke like this Nothing Assurance was given regarding this peace.
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He boasted about the destruction of Israel’s enemies. In his speech to the Knesset minutes before Trump’s speech, he praised the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities. “You really beat them,” he told Trump.
Netanyahu listed the purged Hamas commanders: “They are all gone!”
He likened those who fought for Israel to biblical heroes. He said Hamas had “submitted” to the ceasefire. He claimed that Israel had achieved all its objectives in the war.
This victory was an exaggeration. Israel showed its power against Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran. However, he rescued the hostages and agreed to release nearly 2,000 Hamas fighters, establishing a ceasefire. The truth is that Trump waited for Netanyahu to surrender.
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Another fact is that some crowds in Israel booed when Netanyahu’s name was mentioned over the weekend. He needed to play victory to clear his doubts about his decisions.
Still, there was a fundamental truth in Netanyahu’s speech. Israel won the war. Yes, he did so at the shocking cost of death and destruction in Gaza. As the destruction continued, it lost international support.
But if there is to be peace, it can only happen if Israel’s open enemies accept the right of peace to exist.
“The Jewish people have risen from the ashes time and time again,” Netanyahu said.
“But when we created the State of Israel and the Israeli army, we promised that we would never again be defenseless against our enemies. And this determined force not only ensures our survival, but also our future, it secures peace.”
“We paid a heavy price for this war, but our enemies now understand how strong and determined Israel is.
“They understand that attacking Israel on October 7 was a disastrous mistake. They understand that Israel is strong and Israel is here to stay.”
Trump was confident the war would end because he said it would end, but Netanyahu was crystal clear about the only way this could happen.
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He won’t be persuaded by the International Criminal Court’s request that Netanyahu face war crimes charges, including accusations that he used starvation as a method of warfare. After all, the same court wants Hamas leaders to face war crimes charges, and that hasn’t affected either them or their supporters.
Netanyahu’s message was that Israel’s enemies must accept what they have lost and never again invite disaster.
Hamas will of course reject these terms, but we do not know whether this will guarantee further conflict. It is too early to judge whether Hamas has the capacity within its own ranks and the support among the people of Gaza to threaten a longer peace.
We do not know whether the longing for revenge will exceed the desire for peace, so we cannot know whether Hamas will be punished for its failure or rewarded for promising future victory.
There seemed to be only one check on Netanyahu, and that was the man sitting next to him when he spoke in the Knesset. The Israeli prime minister described Trump as indispensable, determined and focused on helping Israel.
This was another fundamental truth. If there is war, the only leader outside Israel who could persuade Netanyahu to stop would likely be Trump.
Netanyahu had triumphed shamelessly. Those who do not like him will shy away from his message, but they should not ignore it. His words, if realized, will shape the terms of peace.
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