GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 332

The Only Deal Needed

Harsh Words

We see in a report from The Jerusalem Post that Joe Biden went from criticizing Hamas to complaining about Prime Minister Netanyahu:

US President Joe Biden had harsh words for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas in the aftermath of the terror group’s execution of six hostages held in Gaza, including Israel-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

Biden spoke with reporters prior to his meeting with members of his negotiating team at the White House on Monday.

Apparently the US has a new deal to present to both sides, a deal they feel will work this time:

He appeared to confirm reports that the US would soon present a final hostage deal to Israel and Hamas.

“We’re very close to that,” he said when asked about that report. He was also quizzed as to why this effort would be successful when past initiatives had failed, he said, “Hope springs eternal.”

He added “We're not giving up. We're going to continue to push as hard as we can.”

For their part, Hamas also piled on the PM while also pushing that the IDF leave Gaza:

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that Biden’s comments were an acknowledgment that Netanyahu was undermining efforts.

Zuhri added that any proposal for a permanent ceasefire and complete Israeli withdrawal would be received positively.

Some think that the majority of these hostages would have been released in the current deal being brokered:

It was expected that four of the six, including Hersh would be freed in the first phase of a three-part deal that has been on the table since May 31.

With their death, there are 101 remaining hostages in Gaza, of which 66 are presumed to be alive.

The US isn’t taking the holiday weekend off:

Although it was Labor Day weekend, Biden met in the White House’s Situation Room on Monday morning with Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, and US Special Envoy Brett McGurk.

Biden, Harris and Sullivan have all spoken with Hersh’s parents Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg.

According to the report, there was still high emotions about the murders and then the business of getting the remaining hostages released was discussed:

At the meeting Biden “expressed his devastation and outrage at the murder, and reaffirmed the importance of holding Hamas’s leaders accountable,” the White House said.

Biden and Harris “received an update from the U.S. negotiation team on the status of the bridging proposal outlined by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt.

“They discussed next steps in the ongoing effort to secure the release of hostages, including continuing consultations with co-mediators Qatar and Egypt,” the White House said.

We’re Close – Again

I pay close attention to what is going on in the Israel/Hamas war and this whole “we’re close to a deal” line is starting to get old. They are not close to a deal and if anyone is listening to what the two sides are saying they will never agree. They may be getting close on some issues and that can be said to be progress, but on the major issues there is no agreement. Israel wants Hamas totally eliminated and Hamas wants Israel to be totally eliminated. Israel will not allow more terrorists to cross into Gaza through the Philadelphi Corridor. Hamas will not accept a deal that doesn’t allow them to regroup and retool and then rise to power again in Gaza. Please stop with all the smiles and roses during the ongoing negotiations. Six more hostages are dead and who knows how many more will follow? Hamas will not release all of them ever unless it gets the war to stop immediately with them surviving. As Netanyahu said yesterday, Hamas hasn’t been serious about a deal since last year and are only stalling. Their ongoing psyops continues as commentator Caroline Glick exposed in our previous podcast which you should read in it’s totality when you get a chance. She is very astute in her assessment of what is happening with both the political leaders and the military leaders around Netanyahu including the negotiating teams and she nails it. They are taking marching orders from Sinwar without really saying it or maybe even knowing it. I said it yesterday and I say it today all of these people should tender their resignations immediately starting with Defense Minister Gallant. Stop the negotiations and start hammering Hamas every way you can. Kill 6 terrorists in prison right now and tell the terrorists that Israel will kill one terrorist for every day they continue to hold the remaining terrorists. I know this sounds harsh, but Hamas only responds to power and this would make the international community howl, but if it gets Hamas to relent and decide to agree to deal that includes Israel to continue to devastate them once all the hostages are returned and a one-to-one exchange of hostages for prisoners as well as the IDF keeping the Philadelphi Corridor it would be worth it. And according to the PM keep Hamas from spiriting the remaining hostages to Iran. What will happen? Most likely the first phase of a deal will be reached, but only if Hamas relents. I don’t see that happening after they intentionally murdered 6 innocent hostages just to divide Israelis and make the PM look bad. Wake up people. And those of us who are believers we need to strongly intercede for Netanyahu and the few people around him that support him in protecting Israel from the surrounding terrorists who want all Jews to die. That is part of praying for the peace of Jerusalem.