Netanyahu prolonging assault on Gaza for political gain: former ambassador
Hamas agreeing to ceasefire deal increases pressure on Netanyahu, says Alon Pinkas
A former Israeli ambassador says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might have rejected a ceasefire deal this week in order to safeguard his own political future.
"He is prolonging the war, because what awaits him after the war is a very inhospitable, to say the least, political and public environment," said Alon Pinkas, who was Israel's consul general in New York from 2000 to 2004, and a former foreign policy advisor to Israeli foreign ministers.
Reports Monday indicated Hamas had agreed to an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire, which would have seen the exchange of Israelis held by Hamas and Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Israel said the deal fell short of its demands, and negotiations continue.
More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, according to Gaza health officials. Israel's incursion began after roughly 1,200 people were killed in a Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies. Those figures also suggest that 133 Israelis remain in captivity in Gaza. Hundreds of Palestians have been detained in Israel.
In a statement Monday, Netanyahu's office vowed that Israel would proceed with the invasion of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have taken refuge in a city initially designated as a safe zone by the IDF. Israeli forces launched airstrikes on the city Monday night, and took control of the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt Tuesday.
The international community has urged Israel not to proceed with a ground invasion, warning that the consequences would be dire for civilians already living in deteriorating conditions.
Pinkas spoke to The Current's Matt Galloway about the pressure Netanyahu is facing both in Israel, and on the world stage. Here is part of their conversation.
In Israel, what is the response to Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting this latest ceasefire proposal from Hamas?
Well, the truth is Matt, no one really knows that he's rejected it already. I mean, there's a lot of, you know, a lot of smoke and mirrors and spin and masquerading and manipulation and lies and what have you.
Is that the case? Because we're hearing from wires reporting senior Israeli officials saying the current offer from Hamas is unacceptable to Israel.
Yeah, isn't it great that they're always anonymous, these people? They're anonymous because that way they can say the exact opposite two hours from now or two days from now.
But let's get serious with this. This is bad news for Mr. Netanyahu because, by Friday, he was absolutely certain that there's no deal and that he could fulfil his pledge to attack in the southern tip of the Gaza Strip, where the city of Rafah is. Then on Saturday, came the announcement from Hamas that they're actually accepting the deal.
And so on Saturday, Prime Minister Netanyahu puts out two statements in which he basically says no deal because he's saying we're going to operate in Rafah with or without a ceasefire. Now, that's silly, that's ludicrous, that's irreconcilable. How can you attack in Gaza with a ceasefire? And how can you have a deal without a ceasefire?
And that goes to the question, is he really prolonging the war? And the answer is yes, he is prolonging the war, because what awaits him after the war is a very inhospitable, to say the least, political and public environment.
How much public support does he have for the war as the fighting drags on and as hostages remain in captivity?
That's a great question, because there has to be a distinction. The support for the war is high. The support for Mr. Netanyahu is extraordinarily low. Over 70 per cent … of Israelis think he should resign. That's divided into those who think he should resign immediately, and those who think he should resign after the war, whatever "after the war" means.
In other polls where voting intentions are being measured, he is losing, he is being trounced, in fact, in almost every poll.
That doesn't mean much because there's no election date. But that does reflect the unpopularity of both his management of affairs before October 7th, his mismanagement of the war, the fact that he failed to take responsibility, fails to be held accountable and cannot show anything, you know, other than devastation and ruin in Gaza, which most Israelis, by the way, are indifferent and oblivious to.
Other than that, he can't show anything in terms of eradicating or obliterating or annihilating Hamas as he has pledged to do for seven months.
You wrote a month or so ago that in some ways he was spoiling for a fight with the United States. As I mentioned, there has been fierce pressure from Joe Biden. He spoke with Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, reiterating the U.S. opposition to any military invasion, or an offensive in Rafah. What do you mean that he's spoiling for a fight with his major backer?
Well, you know, he's an ingrate, to put it simply. He has been deliberately angling for confrontation with the U.S. since November. And it seems counterintuitive to anyone who's going to be listening to us, on this show, because why would he do that?
The U.S. is supplying Israel with a diplomatic umbrella, $3.8 billion in annual military grant a year, and then [additonal recent funding]. And so why would he do that?
Well, that's because it serves his narrative. He's developing a completely alternative universe narrative in which he absolves himself of any responsibility for October 7th by presenting what transpired as some kind of a major confrontation between Israel and Iran and its proxies. And in between, the U.S. — despite their help, despite their assistance, despite their backing — is essentially trying to superimpose on Israel a Palestinian state. And only he can stand up to America. And if he convinces the Israeli public with this bogus narrative, then it's worth his while to confront Biden.
Now, if you look at the last five, six months, Matt, he may be proven right in terms of reading Biden, probably better than Biden has been reading him. Because he's gotten away with a lot. Now, push came to shove in the last 48 hours with this Hamas announcement that they're accepting the deal. Now he has to make a decision. I mean, he's finally reached a fork in the road. And unlike Yogi Berra, he can't just take it. He needs to make a decision.
Q&A edited for length and clarity. Audio produced by Arman Aghbali and Niza Lyapa Nondo.
