Israeli PM Netanyahu says he’s accepted the proposal, but with far-right opposition, will he follow through with it?
Standing next to Donald Trump on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged that he had accepted the plan put forward by the United States president to end Israel’s war on Gaza.
But a few hours later – and this time speaking in Hebrew rather than English – Netanyahu couched that agreement, telling his domestic audience that he definitely had not agreed to a Palestinian state and the Israeli military would remain in most of Gaza.
On paper, Trump’s 20-point plan fulfils many of Israel’s stated war aims: the return of Israeli captives, the dismantling of Hamas as a military and political force, and the creation of a temporary international administration in Gaza unlikely to threaten Israel.
But agreeing to any deal has political and personal costs for Netanyahu, who has kept his government together largely because of his insistence that the war continue. Is he finally ready to end a conflict that has killed more than 66,000
Palestinians? Or will he find another way to prolong the war?
Risky manoeuvre
As well as fulfilling most of Israel’s demands, Trump’s Gaza plan also lets Netanyahu present himself as a victorious war leader before next year’s elections as well as any potential investigation into government failings that may have led to the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
“For Netanyahu, Trump’s deal allows him to portray himself as the full package,” Israeli political scientist Ori Goldberg said. “‘Look at me,’ he can say. ‘I fought the war. I destroyed all of Gaza. I went further than anyone ever thought possible. I have proven my devotion to Israel and its security, but now it’s time for cooler heads to prevail.’” “This isn’t about facts. It’s about narrative,” Goldberg added.
That is important for Netanyahu because any move to end the war is a risky one. Netanyahu, despite being Israel’s longest-serving leader, faces fierce opposition in his own country related to his own domestic policies, the corruption charges he faces and disagreements over his failure to agree a deal to release the captives held in Gaza…
Source: aljazeera.com/news
