“It looked like a whole new proposal,” one [Israeli] official said.
A source with knowledge of the negotiations said the U.S. invited the Israelis to Cairo over the weekend but they chose not to send a team. One Israeli official admitted it was a mistake that led Israel to have less visibility into the talks
Wow so weird that if you don’t show up to negotiations things happen without you! Who would have thought
It’s almost like they have no interest in diplomacy or actually getting the hostages back
We do not live in isolation in the world. Experience has shown that isolationism delivers very negative consequences
The US has always brokered deals in the middle east, and the reason has been oil, I reckon. In this case the parties aren’t talking directly, so the US uses its allies of Egypt and Qatar to talk to Hamas while we talk to Isreal.
Experience has shown that isolationism delivers very negative consequences
There is a lot of ground between being an isolationist hermit like North Korea and getting involved in conflicts that we need not be involved in. I would say our involvement in the Middle East has done more harm than good. We are the reason Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan are in the conditions they are in, for instance.
We are hardly the reason why Iran and Afghanistan are in their present condition. Afghanistan was a theocracy before we showed up as it is now. Not that we didn’t try to instill democracy, but we failed. Iran was carved out by western powers and had a revolution making it a theocracy, which it is now. The US did take a dictatorship in Iraq and moved it to Democracy.
The US overthrew the democratically elected president of Iran and installed the authoritarian Shah in his place, setting the stage for the Islamic revolution that took place in the 70s.
Not that we didn’t try to instill democracy, but we failed.
Exactly. We tried to install a democracy in another country, through military force, killing hundreds of thousands of civilians in the process. We shouldn’t meddle in the affairs of other countries, even, and especially, if we think we are doing it for noble reasons.
A lot of times the military force just happens to be there. Rather than leaving a vacuum, the US promotes democracy. There are countries, like Japan, that are happy we do that
There are countries, like Japan, that are happy we do that
I don’t care. I do not support my country unilaterally using military force to protect the interests of some countries, against others. We should not be the world’s police. No country should be in such a position of total power.
Innocent people are dying and we’re providing the weapons to kill them. If we’re not gonna be involved, at least stop sending weapons. But even better: let’s try to stop people from being killed.
The U.S. official said the Biden administration’s stated aim has been to “ensure that an initial six-week ceasefire would be built into something more enduring. The agreement lays out three phases for this purpose and it would be our aim to see all three phases completed with all the hostages returned to their families.”
Israel doesn’t want a lasting ceasefire…
They want everything they’re asking for in exchange for a very brief “ceasefire” where they don’t actually even pause their genocide.
There is no overlap of positions. It boils down to Hamas wants to stay in power and Isreal won’t agree to that. But, mediators still want to keep talks going.
It makes me very happy that I can actually completely agree with you this time.
Netanyahu has become a dog backed into a corner, with his only protection being a rabid pack of zealots whose god promised them land. He wants no cease fire, so makes unconditional surrender the only terms he’ll accept.
The only way to an actual peace in the region is starting to take steps towards the long term. As distasteful as it may seem it likely includes giving Hamas at least some measure of a seat at the table in the process.
“I get what I want, you get a months reprieve before I kill you.” is not a serious proposal to end this.
As distasteful as it may seem it likely includes giving Hamas at least some measure of a seat at the table in the process.
I don’t trust Hamas (nor the Israeli government for that matter), but the people of Gaza deserve representation. The last election was a held in 2006. Why not make a condition of this peace agreement that free and fair elections be held in Gaza so the people can choose their representation.
This would benefit Israel if they don’t like Hamas, and if the people don’t like the results the Oct 6th attack by Hamas, this would be their chance to voice their opinion and vote out Hamas. If Hamas rejects this demand then it would be very telling that Hamas just wants to stay in power. Perhaps Hamas could counter that if the people of Gaza get a vote for their government, the so should the people of Israel for their government. Do the people of Israel want to continue this bloodshed? Their vote will tell.
The immediate pressing concern is to stop the fighting and get aid in to alleviate the famine and other humanitarian concerns. You can’t hold an election while over half your population is displaced and homeless with tens of thousands wounded and a famine. The situation needs to be stabilized, and there is going to have to be some external party there to enforce the peace and start that work. Some of the proposals involve a regional peacekeeping force from Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, etc
As a party engaged in the fighting, if you want it to stop you’re going to have to be discussing and coming to agreements with Hamas. But yes, in the longer term there should be free and fair elections in Gaza and the whole of Palestinian territory. But that’s steps down the road, for sure.
The alternative is to continue on the path we’re on. Sure, you might destroy Hamas as an organization, but you will have either created the breeding ground for much worse to come in the future, or gone all-in on genocide.
The immediate pressing concern is to stop the fighting and get aid in to alleviate the famine and other humanitarian concerns. You can’t hold an election while over half your population is displaced and homeless with tens of thousands wounded and a famine.
That wasn’t my suggestion.
I agree elections can only be held once there is stabilization. However, a what can be included in these agreements is a commitment from both sides to hold elections. Again, Hamas hasn’t held any since 2006. It costs either side nothing to agree to it now, so one side rejecting it would be very telling.
Add comment