Um, I seem to recall that in November 2023, they gave back more than 100 after an agreement was reached. So yes, they did give back some of them - and the world & the Israeli government seems to have abandoned the others.
So I agree, EVERYONE AGREES, bring back the hostages and end the war but unfortunately you , and I, and EVERYONE ELSE, operate in a world where we value life; where we want, at any cost, to return our people to their families.. and we hope , like any normal adversary, that the enemy wants to negotiate for this to happen .. but they don’t .. they are not normal enemies, their ideology is beyond anything this world has seen since Nazis, in fact they are worse than Nazis.. they are the devil’s apostles.. they are evil on earth .. , they don’t care how many of their people die, they don’t care if our people suffocate and die in their tunnels, they don’t want peace, they don’t care if the war ends.. they just want to annihilate Israel, you and all your family.. and as for Hamas’s aim to obliterate the Left? I am interested to know , how, in God’s name you come to that conclusion ..
How do I know Hamas’s aim to destroy (that’s the word I used, not eliminate) the global left? Look at this comments section—the answer is right in front of you.
Hamas are using the Left to do their dirty work .. can’t you see that? They are using Liberalism against us . But I will tell you something my grandfather, a Holocaust survivor who lived to be a 101 so he saw a lot of life .. “The world is a pendulum, it swings too far Right ? Then it recalibrates too far Left and this goes on and on , sometimes if we are lucky it settles in the middle but not for long, something always sets it off again” .. so Hamas is using The Left for its propaganda purposes , centrists see how bonkers that is and move the pendulum right ..but we can deal with the Right.. it’s the Left with their absolute intolerance of any other view, their black and white pigeonholing of issues and actually , sadly , the ignorance of real issues that is the problem
There are some good points in this essay yet the end sums it up nicely. “Do I claim to know the way forward? Hardly.” Well. Maybe before getting on this diatribe, figuring out the path forward is the only way to have the right to this diatribe?
1)Neither Jordan nor Egypt will be part of a coalition government (they HATE palestinians…black September and all that).
2) Blinded by antisemitism/antizionism the UN has steadfastly refused to condemn Hamas, October 7, or Hezbollah (in part because those responsible for the terror have seats at the table of the UN)
3) Hamas/Hezbollah don’t want peace. They are jihadist death-cults for whom the suffering of their people is precisely the price that must be paid if it ensures the destruction of Israel/death of Jews.
I agree with you .... the author has absolutely nothing to contribute and why she is even has a platform to waste everyones time is beyond me. My New Yawk suspicious and perverse nature leads me to believe that Salsa and her are "friends" ... LOL
Seeing as I didnt receive a reply from you the first time and I still stand by what I said, I will just repeat my comment ........
I actually feel like I am posting a comment to an enemy of mine. Not an intentional enemy but from my prospective, the kind of person whose ideology, if adhered to, would in the long run cause more death and more violence to our Israeli brothers and sisters. The road to hell is paved with good intention and IMHO, your good intention paves the road to hell for every Israeli.
You say the war should end. Exactly how long should a war last for? Do you have an exact time period? or do you go by the number of deaths? or do you leave it to the UN, Global opinion or perhaps a Ouija board?
I really didn't want to be rude but I can't help being angered at you because I really don't know what you and people like you don't get? The goals of this war were outlined ever so clearly. The number one goal is to ensure that we have destroyed enough Hamas infrastructure so that it will take them decades to rebuild those freakin tunnels and perform another Oct 7h. Another goal was the return of our hostages. Another goal of this war is to ensure that Hezbollah has been hit hard enough so that the Missile attacks will end and so our displaced 70000 brothers and sisters go home. Our goal was not to have Palestinians love us or like us.
We dont give a shit if we have another generation of Jew haters as long as the best they can do is throw rocks. We have peace with Egypt and Jordan for decades and guess what? .... They hate us! They overwhelmingly hate us! So what? As long as they don't attack us, they can go f--- themselves.
The war continues until we accomplish our goals. Based on a new Pew Poll, 96 percent of Israelis agree with me and 4 percent are like you.
I know this next generation of haters bother you a great deal but what bothers me is that your position is going to hurt our people terribly in the long run and you don't see it.
BTW, I am not giving up on the next generation of Pals ..... I hope when we win the war, we make sure that UNRWA is out of the education business and that Imans who preach hate in the Mosques are also out of business and that we ensure that history is taught with truth and not lies so we change this culture of hate to a culture of acceptance.
Please be honest, I never suggested you were my enemy and what i said did in no way prove your original point about Hamas intentions.
Here is something as recent as last month "An overwhelming majority of Israelis support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s negotiation positions regarding a hostage deal with Hamas and oppose anti-government demonstrations in Tel Aviv demanding an immediate deal at any price, according to a new, in-depth JNS poll"
Of course, the other points i made you didn't even address .... When do you feel the war should end? I stated the goals as outlined by Israeli government and you didn't touch on that either. I addressed the next generation of haters and you did not address that either.
A shallow essay by a person who has very little hard facts to back up any position. Why you came back a second time to carry on with your dribble is beyond me.
Again you side step everything all the questions and points I made in my comment only to focus on the peripheral because you lack any substance, just a shallow, simplistic approach to a situation that impacts the future of your people. And the real joke is that you talk of higher education in your profile. Pathetic!
"Do I claim to know the way forward? Hardly. I just know that this war has gone on for 13 months too long."
Everyone I know who opposes this war has a long list of all the things they dislike and want stopped, but goes quickly shtum when I ask them what they would do differently.
And the "GET BACK THE HOSTAGES, AND END THE WAR!" argument seems to me an oversimplification, as if Netanyahu could get someone in Hamas on the phone who would be happy to negotiate in good faith and send home the hostages on the next bus. I don't think you can honestly face this issue without grappling with the Gilad Shalit precedent—any successful negotation would involve hundreds of terrorists released from Israel prisons, who will immediately go back to jihad, and it would also mean Hamas lives to fight another day. The Netanyahu govt has decided this is unacceptable.
I think the world changed on 10/7 and it's hard for Western liberals to wake up and live in a post (but really pre-) liberal situation, where appeals to peace, negotiation, investment, obligations to rebuild enemy territory etc fall on deaf ears. After 10/7 nothing matters except that everyone involved in that terrible crime faces justice. Social Justice has been replaced by biblical justice.
I assume he will be held accountable at the next election and held accountable by the justice system if, when he is out of office, he is tried for committing any suspected crimes—and of course he'll be held accountable by history and held accountable by god some day (if you believe in god). Short of that, I don't know what else there is to say.
From what I can tell, Likud is still the most popular party:
And Netanyahu will probably gain a boost in popularity now that the ICC has branded him a possible war criminal. Outside of his supporters, the Western Left is his greatest ally—the more they crusade to turn Israel into the world's pariah state, the more he will be seen as his country's champion.
So just give Hamas what they want and hope they have any idea where all the hostages are? Insane.
If they remain in power , and you’ve suggested no way to end that, the minute the money start pouring in the tunnels will start to be rebuilt.
The problem you libs have is that you always want to take the nice guy route. You’re dealing with murderous animals who have told you time and time again what they’re going to.
And the only way that won’t happen is if they’re dead to the extent that they’ve had enough
Once Donald Trump gets the U it’s States producing energy again it’s time to bomb Irans oil into oblivion, bankrupt them and not allow the UN into Gaza or Lebanon.
What’s your plan if the e murdered most of the hostages?? Let them go back to governing?
I totally miss any considerance of the Arabian states who more or less respect Israel and want to have peace with them. Also I miss any mentioning of what is stated already in the UN resolution of 1947/48 which clearly states that as well as a "two state solution" other possibilities are given and to be attained by every player there: anyone who wants to fund a state in the former British/French mandate region has to fulfill the requirements for a constitutional state :
- independent jurisdiction, designation and guarantee of universal human rights in the constitution: equal rights regardless of gender, sexual orientation, religion and so on: THAT IS the "peace plan", it is 75 years old and was ONLY implemented by ISRAEL. Israel is NOT responsible for all the others. -
Can you name me just ONE state with "Islam" as the state/majority religion, with such constitutional content?
You must be familiar with the "Cairo Declaration" of 1990? There, all "Islamic" states place human rights under "divine reservation": THAT, the DENIED human rights, is the ONLY reason why a so-called "Palestinian" state is impossible as of yet ! Tell THIS to "Queers for Palestines",thank you.
Jews are also "Palestinians": therefore the Arab population should be FORBIDDEN from using this term exclusively, as this exclusive designation already has a 100% imperialist character.
You don't mention any of these things and a few more anywhere, but instead want to blame Israel or other states for hostages, who are NOT in ANY way responsible for the abduction of hostages.
Moreover, it should be perfectly clear that secret talks and negotiations have long been taking place with other players, under Netanyahu's responsibility.
“Just wait and see instead of babbling”…*babbled incoherently about Arabs, Palestinians, and Islam in a lengthy comment that didn’t actually refute any of the article’s points*
It’s impossible for me to take seriously someone who can’t write and spell coherently (which is in itself disappointing and childish). You may want to work on that before posting lengthy comments to serious pieces in the future.
Funny how the author assumes that every Jewish American is a democrat. Why am I supposed to worry that the war has divided the democratic party? And you need to ask yourself why has it divided the democrats? Why do some democrats side with hamas and Hezbollah? Why do some democrats accept hamas propaganda as the truth? Why do some democrats erase Israel from existence? Why aren't these antisemites excised from the democratic party instead of indulged? This is exactly why I am an independent. OK I became an independent back in 1992 because neither party earned by allegiance then and they definitely are not entitled to it now.
At what point in this article do I state that “every American Jew is a Democrat?” That is something I would never assume, because it is wrong. Rather, I am a Jewish Democrat, so I comment on MY party.
You wrote that this is dividing the Democrat party. Why should I care? Why should Israel or any Jew care that a war of survival of 9 million people most of whom are Jews is dividing the Democratic Party? But more so why is the Democratic Party not expunging these Hamas lovers from the party? That is the question you should be asking.
It’s not a party full of Jew-haters so much that the Jew-hating types are a very loud minority within the party. That is a problem that must be addressed, sure. But the overwhelming majority of American Jews, including me, vote Democrat, so the party’s health and divisiveness affects us all directly—especially now.
But that doesn’t mean Israel doesn’t do what she needs to do so you feel comfortable. I suggest you get rid of the antisemites in your party like the ones that voted to stop arms sales to Israel, including the Jewish ones, if u want to feel comfortable with your party.
Let’s thrown in even MORE nuance, as Reuben Salsa is restoring my faith in humanity: Can we admit that Bibi Netanyahu and Trump are bad guys who cause more harm than good AND oppose radical Islam?
Being against Hamas does not mean that someone or something is automatically “kosher” (ha-ha). That type of absolutist thinking makes people support poison in order to eliminate poison. Defeating Hamas is as diffuse a goal as defeating antisemitism. Can we “defeat” evil? No, but we darn sure can bring back hostages (by any means necessary, alive or dead) and expand Israel’s territory in order to discourage further terrorism.
Now I definitely want to write more about this! If anything, my one criticism towards the government of Israel has been that it has been too gentle towards “Palestine”.
You’re welcome, Jill! Every day, people like you are helping to wake me up. I am grateful. Goyim caused this mess, so goyim must be involved in the clean up! I think that the easiest first step is unabashedly supporting Israel & the Jewish community.
The problem with everything you’ve written is that it ignores what is now confirmed by intelligence: Hamas has always planned to keep as many hostages as possible. The premise that there was a scenario in which Hamas would have released all or even most of the hostages is false. If you refuse to engage with that fact, then your opinion is as serious as me claiming I want to gorge on ice cream all day but not gain any weight—a nice thought but totally divorced from reality.
It seems that many progressive/leftist Zionists fail to give full respect and credit to Islamism. By that, I mean they don’t accept that there are many people who genuinely believe in the literal interpretation of the Quran and that for those people, offers of humanitarian aid, western values, etc are unpersuasive. Negotiations only work when both parties have reconcilable aims. That is not the case here.
What is the point of writing your argument if you refuse to engage in these facts? What value do you think you’re adding? We all agree war is brutal and horrific and want it to end, we all want the hostages returned alive. But when you dismiss or ignore the obstacles to achieving those objectives, it’s hard not to see this as anything other than virtue signaling.
Most probable scenario is that the hostages have long been dead. Islam is a death cult. There is no one to negotiate with. Hamas, hezbollah, Iran, etc all proclaim for all the world to hear that they want Israel destroyed and all the world’s Jews dead. Tell me what there is to negotiate? Oct 7 was a but a foretaste of what is to come. The Amsterdam pogram was another step. It will get worse. Writers like this are spinning fairy tales.
Also your claim about how the war has impacted the Democratic Party is mind boggling. The majority of the electorate supports Israel in the war. Exit polls showed that 60+% of voters either approved of the Biden admin’s level of support for Israel or said the admin was not supportive enough. Only 30% said the admin was too supportive.
The Dems unwillingness to condemn the anti-Israel (and almost always antisemitic) protestors was a massive error. It revealed them to be weak, deeply hypocritical, and sympathetic to anti-American movements.
I find it EXTREMELY troubling that some American Jews are choosing to blame Israel for antisemitism in the US rather than the antisemites and their apologists. That you seem to share this scapegoating makes me question whether you’re actually a Zionist at all.
The last paragraph of this comment is a reinforcement of my argument mistaking itself as a rebuttal—you are rudely questioning my Zionism/Judaism (which is preposterous) just because I have reservations about the current state of the war. You are playing into Hamas’s game to tear us apart - of course, it a game you cannot lose if you do not play.
No, what your comment has reinforced is that your entire argument relies upon cherry-picked statements and facts that support your myopic worldview. I provided two substantive comments and rather than address the merit of my arguments, you’ve ignored both and elected to reply to a throwaway line typed out of frustration.
When you repeatedly refuse to address the substance of the arguments, it suggests that you don’t because you can’t.
And just to clarify, I actually don’t think—nor do I care—whether you’re a Zionist. I questioned your Zionism because I was trying to be diplomatic. What I should have said is that blaming the rise of antisemitism in America and within the Democratic Party on Israel is antisemitic. Insinuating that Israel is in any way to blame for the Democrats losing is also antisemitic. Whether you personally are antisemitic, I don’t know. But you’re sure speaking the language.
I anticipate you will again ignore any of the substantive points I’ve made in this comment or my other comment about the intelligence re: the hostages and Islamism and will instead solely respond to perceived insults, or not respond at all. I’d have much more respect for your argument if you were at least willing to address the counterpoints in good faith. Or at all.
You choose to insinuate that I am blaming Israel for the existence of antisemitism—and I’m not. I am blaming them (the Israeli government, not average people) for mishandling a war that is stoking antisemitism, and that is a completely valid take on the situation from a Zionist like me. “Cherry picked statements”? You are responding to MY article where I made several substantive arguments. So far, I am not reading you refute any of my actual points, other than you coming at me personally. Which, whether you realize it or not, plays into Hamas’s entire strategy. So I suppose in that way you are reinforcing my original argument. Thanks!
I refuted one of your points in a different comment, which you never responded to, as I predicted you wouldn’t. So again, you’re actually reinforcing my argument. Thanks!
You make some good points but overall I don't agree that it's that simple. I wouldn't vote for Netanyahu if I lived in Israel but feel ill equipped to comment on the details of this war.
It's possible that you don't understand what an "end game" is. An "end game" is not a final result. An "end game" is the process that leads up to the final result. In chess, an "end game" is the process of attempting to win after the vast majority of the pieces have been removed from the board. Looks to me like Israel is in the process of an "end game." Although your win is most likely the same as Bibi's, and you are in disagreement with Bibi's "end game," your "end game" would be?????
First, Reuben, sorry to hear you’re heading to the pay space. I’ve enjoyed your posts.
About this particular post; thanks for sharing. It’s important to hear different perspectives.
One might quibble with some of the analysis, but It’s hard, impossible, to argue with much of what is laid out in this piece.
Nobody wants the war. Israelis don’t want the war. Hostage families don’t want the war.
But…
“Get the hostages back and end the war….”
There’s the rub. Israel can’t “get the hostages back.” Israel can continue to do what it can, but Hamas holds these people, kidnapped over a year ago. They hold them in tunnels below home, mosques, hospitals, schools. They are watched over by Gazan Palestinians. And they are all dying.
Meanwhile, Hamas and Hezbollah (and Yemenite Houthis, and Iran) shower Israel with over 30k rockets since 10/7/23. Over 100,000 Israelis have been forced out of their homes.
So there is no world wherein Israel can unilaterally end the war. A war started to specifically deny the Middle East of its first real opportunity for peace - The Abraham Accords.
But there is a solution.
The UN must condemn and outlaw Hamas. (They have already outlawed Hezbollah, but refuse to act in a way that enforces that).
Hamas and Hezbollah must be forced to surrender by the international community. They must release the hostages. Their leadership must put their billions in escrow, and a provisional coalition government of Arab states (Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia) with objective oversight must be installed until the Palestinians can form their own government. The billions they get in funds combined with the escrow can then be used to rebuild infrastructure, dismantle the military, and give stability.
Simultaneously, the PA and Fatah (and other factions) in Judea Samaria must demilitarize, terror must cease to be funded.
The kind of pressure that is put on Israel to end this war should be shifted to the Palestinian leadership.
They started it. They’ve shown no interest in stopping. They have stood in the way of any attempts at negotiation.
The plight of the Palestinians is real. But Israel isn’t responsible.
Here is the message.
Hamas, lay down your arms, surrender, release the hostages, and end this war.
And the paid posts are once a week (Thursday) with a free post every week (Sunday). You can still read the majority of the JPF. Thanks for following Geoffrey and I agree, it's important to share different viewpoints from Jewish authors.
Um, I seem to recall that in November 2023, they gave back more than 100 after an agreement was reached. So yes, they did give back some of them - and the world & the Israeli government seems to have abandoned the others.
You might want to do a bit more of a deep-dive into what some of Bibi’s (ex) advisors have said about his openness to a hostage deal.
So I agree, EVERYONE AGREES, bring back the hostages and end the war but unfortunately you , and I, and EVERYONE ELSE, operate in a world where we value life; where we want, at any cost, to return our people to their families.. and we hope , like any normal adversary, that the enemy wants to negotiate for this to happen .. but they don’t .. they are not normal enemies, their ideology is beyond anything this world has seen since Nazis, in fact they are worse than Nazis.. they are the devil’s apostles.. they are evil on earth .. , they don’t care how many of their people die, they don’t care if our people suffocate and die in their tunnels, they don’t want peace, they don’t care if the war ends.. they just want to annihilate Israel, you and all your family.. and as for Hamas’s aim to obliterate the Left? I am interested to know , how, in God’s name you come to that conclusion ..
How do I know Hamas’s aim to destroy (that’s the word I used, not eliminate) the global left? Look at this comments section—the answer is right in front of you.
Hamas are using the Left to do their dirty work .. can’t you see that? They are using Liberalism against us . But I will tell you something my grandfather, a Holocaust survivor who lived to be a 101 so he saw a lot of life .. “The world is a pendulum, it swings too far Right ? Then it recalibrates too far Left and this goes on and on , sometimes if we are lucky it settles in the middle but not for long, something always sets it off again” .. so Hamas is using The Left for its propaganda purposes , centrists see how bonkers that is and move the pendulum right ..but we can deal with the Right.. it’s the Left with their absolute intolerance of any other view, their black and white pigeonholing of issues and actually , sadly , the ignorance of real issues that is the problem
Oh .. and war is the only answer.. it’s a terrible answer but it is often the only answer ..
There are some good points in this essay yet the end sums it up nicely. “Do I claim to know the way forward? Hardly.” Well. Maybe before getting on this diatribe, figuring out the path forward is the only way to have the right to this diatribe?
LOL. If I had the answer, I would win the Nobel Peace Prize! I am looking forward to hearing one!
Me too!
I DO have the answer…except
1)Neither Jordan nor Egypt will be part of a coalition government (they HATE palestinians…black September and all that).
2) Blinded by antisemitism/antizionism the UN has steadfastly refused to condemn Hamas, October 7, or Hezbollah (in part because those responsible for the terror have seats at the table of the UN)
3) Hamas/Hezbollah don’t want peace. They are jihadist death-cults for whom the suffering of their people is precisely the price that must be paid if it ensures the destruction of Israel/death of Jews.
I agree with you .... the author has absolutely nothing to contribute and why she is even has a platform to waste everyones time is beyond me. My New Yawk suspicious and perverse nature leads me to believe that Salsa and her are "friends" ... LOL
Be well, papa j
Seeing as I didnt receive a reply from you the first time and I still stand by what I said, I will just repeat my comment ........
I actually feel like I am posting a comment to an enemy of mine. Not an intentional enemy but from my prospective, the kind of person whose ideology, if adhered to, would in the long run cause more death and more violence to our Israeli brothers and sisters. The road to hell is paved with good intention and IMHO, your good intention paves the road to hell for every Israeli.
You say the war should end. Exactly how long should a war last for? Do you have an exact time period? or do you go by the number of deaths? or do you leave it to the UN, Global opinion or perhaps a Ouija board?
I really didn't want to be rude but I can't help being angered at you because I really don't know what you and people like you don't get? The goals of this war were outlined ever so clearly. The number one goal is to ensure that we have destroyed enough Hamas infrastructure so that it will take them decades to rebuild those freakin tunnels and perform another Oct 7h. Another goal was the return of our hostages. Another goal of this war is to ensure that Hezbollah has been hit hard enough so that the Missile attacks will end and so our displaced 70000 brothers and sisters go home. Our goal was not to have Palestinians love us or like us.
We dont give a shit if we have another generation of Jew haters as long as the best they can do is throw rocks. We have peace with Egypt and Jordan for decades and guess what? .... They hate us! They overwhelmingly hate us! So what? As long as they don't attack us, they can go f--- themselves.
The war continues until we accomplish our goals. Based on a new Pew Poll, 96 percent of Israelis agree with me and 4 percent are like you.
I know this next generation of haters bother you a great deal but what bothers me is that your position is going to hurt our people terribly in the long run and you don't see it.
BTW, I am not giving up on the next generation of Pals ..... I hope when we win the war, we make sure that UNRWA is out of the education business and that Imans who preach hate in the Mosques are also out of business and that we ensure that history is taught with truth and not lies so we change this culture of hate to a culture of acceptance.
papa j
I am not your enemy. The fact that you are even suggesting that only proves my original point about Hamas’s intentions.
96% of Israelis agree with what? At least half do not support Bibi’s handling of the war and are out on the streets expressing that.
Please be honest, I never suggested you were my enemy and what i said did in no way prove your original point about Hamas intentions.
Here is something as recent as last month "An overwhelming majority of Israelis support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s negotiation positions regarding a hostage deal with Hamas and oppose anti-government demonstrations in Tel Aviv demanding an immediate deal at any price, according to a new, in-depth JNS poll"
Of course, the other points i made you didn't even address .... When do you feel the war should end? I stated the goals as outlined by Israeli government and you didn't touch on that either. I addressed the next generation of haters and you did not address that either.
A shallow essay by a person who has very little hard facts to back up any position. Why you came back a second time to carry on with your dribble is beyond me.
papa j
“I feel like I am posting a comment to an enemy”
“I am not your enemy”
“I NEVER SAID YOU WERE. YOU ARE VERY SHALLOW!”
You should take stock in how ridiculous you sound. Your tone is an “ok Boomer” meme.
Again you side step everything all the questions and points I made in my comment only to focus on the peripheral because you lack any substance, just a shallow, simplistic approach to a situation that impacts the future of your people. And the real joke is that you talk of higher education in your profile. Pathetic!
papa j
Ok, Boomer.
Labels ….. did i say pathetic? …I meant utterly pathetic.
papa j
"Do I claim to know the way forward? Hardly. I just know that this war has gone on for 13 months too long."
Everyone I know who opposes this war has a long list of all the things they dislike and want stopped, but goes quickly shtum when I ask them what they would do differently.
And the "GET BACK THE HOSTAGES, AND END THE WAR!" argument seems to me an oversimplification, as if Netanyahu could get someone in Hamas on the phone who would be happy to negotiate in good faith and send home the hostages on the next bus. I don't think you can honestly face this issue without grappling with the Gilad Shalit precedent—any successful negotation would involve hundreds of terrorists released from Israel prisons, who will immediately go back to jihad, and it would also mean Hamas lives to fight another day. The Netanyahu govt has decided this is unacceptable.
I think the world changed on 10/7 and it's hard for Western liberals to wake up and live in a post (but really pre-) liberal situation, where appeals to peace, negotiation, investment, obligations to rebuild enemy territory etc fall on deaf ears. After 10/7 nothing matters except that everyone involved in that terrible crime faces justice. Social Justice has been replaced by biblical justice.
What would I do differently? Hold bibi accountable for his role in this mess. Hasn’t been tried yet.
I assume he will be held accountable at the next election and held accountable by the justice system if, when he is out of office, he is tried for committing any suspected crimes—and of course he'll be held accountable by history and held accountable by god some day (if you believe in god). Short of that, I don't know what else there is to say.
From what I can tell, Likud is still the most popular party:
https://www.ft.com/content/3ae49fb5-a1c6-4e8a-ad08-1179d766550f
And Netanyahu will probably gain a boost in popularity now that the ICC has branded him a possible war criminal. Outside of his supporters, the Western Left is his greatest ally—the more they crusade to turn Israel into the world's pariah state, the more he will be seen as his country's champion.
…all part of Hamas’s master plan.
So just give Hamas what they want and hope they have any idea where all the hostages are? Insane.
If they remain in power , and you’ve suggested no way to end that, the minute the money start pouring in the tunnels will start to be rebuilt.
The problem you libs have is that you always want to take the nice guy route. You’re dealing with murderous animals who have told you time and time again what they’re going to.
And the only way that won’t happen is if they’re dead to the extent that they’ve had enough
Once Donald Trump gets the U it’s States producing energy again it’s time to bomb Irans oil into oblivion, bankrupt them and not allow the UN into Gaza or Lebanon.
What’s your plan if the e murdered most of the hostages?? Let them go back to governing?
You libs are nuts
“Just give Hamas what they want”?! Where do I ever state or suggest any such thing? Quit putting words in my mouth, sir.
I totally miss any considerance of the Arabian states who more or less respect Israel and want to have peace with them. Also I miss any mentioning of what is stated already in the UN resolution of 1947/48 which clearly states that as well as a "two state solution" other possibilities are given and to be attained by every player there: anyone who wants to fund a state in the former British/French mandate region has to fulfill the requirements for a constitutional state :
- independent jurisdiction, designation and guarantee of universal human rights in the constitution: equal rights regardless of gender, sexual orientation, religion and so on: THAT IS the "peace plan", it is 75 years old and was ONLY implemented by ISRAEL. Israel is NOT responsible for all the others. -
Can you name me just ONE state with "Islam" as the state/majority religion, with such constitutional content?
You must be familiar with the "Cairo Declaration" of 1990? There, all "Islamic" states place human rights under "divine reservation": THAT, the DENIED human rights, is the ONLY reason why a so-called "Palestinian" state is impossible as of yet ! Tell THIS to "Queers for Palestines",thank you.
Jews are also "Palestinians": therefore the Arab population should be FORBIDDEN from using this term exclusively, as this exclusive designation already has a 100% imperialist character.
You don't mention any of these things and a few more anywhere, but instead want to blame Israel or other states for hostages, who are NOT in ANY way responsible for the abduction of hostages.
Moreover, it should be perfectly clear that secret talks and negotiations have long been taking place with other players, under Netanyahu's responsibility.
Just wait and see instead of babbling.
“Just wait and see instead of babbling”…*babbled incoherently about Arabs, Palestinians, and Islam in a lengthy comment that didn’t actually refute any of the article’s points*
Correct. `Cause they aren´t worth it.
Your incoherent points aren’t worth it. I agree.
Disappointing and childish. Unfortunately, you appear as to be taken serious much less than I already feared.
It’s impossible for me to take seriously someone who can’t write and spell coherently (which is in itself disappointing and childish). You may want to work on that before posting lengthy comments to serious pieces in the future.
"Alan Douchewitz": apt, and well deserved.
Funny how the author assumes that every Jewish American is a democrat. Why am I supposed to worry that the war has divided the democratic party? And you need to ask yourself why has it divided the democrats? Why do some democrats side with hamas and Hezbollah? Why do some democrats accept hamas propaganda as the truth? Why do some democrats erase Israel from existence? Why aren't these antisemites excised from the democratic party instead of indulged? This is exactly why I am an independent. OK I became an independent back in 1992 because neither party earned by allegiance then and they definitely are not entitled to it now.
At what point in this article do I state that “every American Jew is a Democrat?” That is something I would never assume, because it is wrong. Rather, I am a Jewish Democrat, so I comment on MY party.
You wrote that this is dividing the Democrat party. Why should I care? Why should Israel or any Jew care that a war of survival of 9 million people most of whom are Jews is dividing the Democratic Party? But more so why is the Democratic Party not expunging these Hamas lovers from the party? That is the question you should be asking.
Why should Israel depend its survival or how it runs this war because your party is full of fabbisena Jew haters?
It’s not a party full of Jew-haters so much that the Jew-hating types are a very loud minority within the party. That is a problem that must be addressed, sure. But the overwhelming majority of American Jews, including me, vote Democrat, so the party’s health and divisiveness affects us all directly—especially now.
But that doesn’t mean Israel doesn’t do what she needs to do so you feel comfortable. I suggest you get rid of the antisemites in your party like the ones that voted to stop arms sales to Israel, including the Jewish ones, if u want to feel comfortable with your party.
Sure, I’ll get right on that, as soon as Israeli voters get Bibi and his malignant minions removed from Likud.
Except it’s not so simple, EKB
Let’s thrown in even MORE nuance, as Reuben Salsa is restoring my faith in humanity: Can we admit that Bibi Netanyahu and Trump are bad guys who cause more harm than good AND oppose radical Islam?
Being against Hamas does not mean that someone or something is automatically “kosher” (ha-ha). That type of absolutist thinking makes people support poison in order to eliminate poison. Defeating Hamas is as diffuse a goal as defeating antisemitism. Can we “defeat” evil? No, but we darn sure can bring back hostages (by any means necessary, alive or dead) and expand Israel’s territory in order to discourage further terrorism.
Now I definitely want to write more about this! If anything, my one criticism towards the government of Israel has been that it has been too gentle towards “Palestine”.
Thank you for your comment, Louis. It means that much more coming from a non-Jew, truly!
You’re welcome, Jill! Every day, people like you are helping to wake me up. I am grateful. Goyim caused this mess, so goyim must be involved in the clean up! I think that the easiest first step is unabashedly supporting Israel & the Jewish community.
The problem with everything you’ve written is that it ignores what is now confirmed by intelligence: Hamas has always planned to keep as many hostages as possible. The premise that there was a scenario in which Hamas would have released all or even most of the hostages is false. If you refuse to engage with that fact, then your opinion is as serious as me claiming I want to gorge on ice cream all day but not gain any weight—a nice thought but totally divorced from reality.
It seems that many progressive/leftist Zionists fail to give full respect and credit to Islamism. By that, I mean they don’t accept that there are many people who genuinely believe in the literal interpretation of the Quran and that for those people, offers of humanitarian aid, western values, etc are unpersuasive. Negotiations only work when both parties have reconcilable aims. That is not the case here.
What is the point of writing your argument if you refuse to engage in these facts? What value do you think you’re adding? We all agree war is brutal and horrific and want it to end, we all want the hostages returned alive. But when you dismiss or ignore the obstacles to achieving those objectives, it’s hard not to see this as anything other than virtue signaling.
Most probable scenario is that the hostages have long been dead. Islam is a death cult. There is no one to negotiate with. Hamas, hezbollah, Iran, etc all proclaim for all the world to hear that they want Israel destroyed and all the world’s Jews dead. Tell me what there is to negotiate? Oct 7 was a but a foretaste of what is to come. The Amsterdam pogram was another step. It will get worse. Writers like this are spinning fairy tales.
Also your claim about how the war has impacted the Democratic Party is mind boggling. The majority of the electorate supports Israel in the war. Exit polls showed that 60+% of voters either approved of the Biden admin’s level of support for Israel or said the admin was not supportive enough. Only 30% said the admin was too supportive.
The Dems unwillingness to condemn the anti-Israel (and almost always antisemitic) protestors was a massive error. It revealed them to be weak, deeply hypocritical, and sympathetic to anti-American movements.
I find it EXTREMELY troubling that some American Jews are choosing to blame Israel for antisemitism in the US rather than the antisemites and their apologists. That you seem to share this scapegoating makes me question whether you’re actually a Zionist at all.
The last paragraph of this comment is a reinforcement of my argument mistaking itself as a rebuttal—you are rudely questioning my Zionism/Judaism (which is preposterous) just because I have reservations about the current state of the war. You are playing into Hamas’s game to tear us apart - of course, it a game you cannot lose if you do not play.
No, what your comment has reinforced is that your entire argument relies upon cherry-picked statements and facts that support your myopic worldview. I provided two substantive comments and rather than address the merit of my arguments, you’ve ignored both and elected to reply to a throwaway line typed out of frustration.
When you repeatedly refuse to address the substance of the arguments, it suggests that you don’t because you can’t.
And just to clarify, I actually don’t think—nor do I care—whether you’re a Zionist. I questioned your Zionism because I was trying to be diplomatic. What I should have said is that blaming the rise of antisemitism in America and within the Democratic Party on Israel is antisemitic. Insinuating that Israel is in any way to blame for the Democrats losing is also antisemitic. Whether you personally are antisemitic, I don’t know. But you’re sure speaking the language.
I anticipate you will again ignore any of the substantive points I’ve made in this comment or my other comment about the intelligence re: the hostages and Islamism and will instead solely respond to perceived insults, or not respond at all. I’d have much more respect for your argument if you were at least willing to address the counterpoints in good faith. Or at all.
You choose to insinuate that I am blaming Israel for the existence of antisemitism—and I’m not. I am blaming them (the Israeli government, not average people) for mishandling a war that is stoking antisemitism, and that is a completely valid take on the situation from a Zionist like me. “Cherry picked statements”? You are responding to MY article where I made several substantive arguments. So far, I am not reading you refute any of my actual points, other than you coming at me personally. Which, whether you realize it or not, plays into Hamas’s entire strategy. So I suppose in that way you are reinforcing my original argument. Thanks!
I refuted one of your points in a different comment, which you never responded to, as I predicted you wouldn’t. So again, you’re actually reinforcing my argument. Thanks!
You make some good points but overall I don't agree that it's that simple. I wouldn't vote for Netanyahu if I lived in Israel but feel ill equipped to comment on the details of this war.
I never suggested it was ever at all simple.
It's possible that you don't understand what an "end game" is. An "end game" is not a final result. An "end game" is the process that leads up to the final result. In chess, an "end game" is the process of attempting to win after the vast majority of the pieces have been removed from the board. Looks to me like Israel is in the process of an "end game." Although your win is most likely the same as Bibi's, and you are in disagreement with Bibi's "end game," your "end game" would be?????
First, Reuben, sorry to hear you’re heading to the pay space. I’ve enjoyed your posts.
About this particular post; thanks for sharing. It’s important to hear different perspectives.
One might quibble with some of the analysis, but It’s hard, impossible, to argue with much of what is laid out in this piece.
Nobody wants the war. Israelis don’t want the war. Hostage families don’t want the war.
But…
“Get the hostages back and end the war….”
There’s the rub. Israel can’t “get the hostages back.” Israel can continue to do what it can, but Hamas holds these people, kidnapped over a year ago. They hold them in tunnels below home, mosques, hospitals, schools. They are watched over by Gazan Palestinians. And they are all dying.
Meanwhile, Hamas and Hezbollah (and Yemenite Houthis, and Iran) shower Israel with over 30k rockets since 10/7/23. Over 100,000 Israelis have been forced out of their homes.
So there is no world wherein Israel can unilaterally end the war. A war started to specifically deny the Middle East of its first real opportunity for peace - The Abraham Accords.
But there is a solution.
The UN must condemn and outlaw Hamas. (They have already outlawed Hezbollah, but refuse to act in a way that enforces that).
Hamas and Hezbollah must be forced to surrender by the international community. They must release the hostages. Their leadership must put their billions in escrow, and a provisional coalition government of Arab states (Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia) with objective oversight must be installed until the Palestinians can form their own government. The billions they get in funds combined with the escrow can then be used to rebuild infrastructure, dismantle the military, and give stability.
Simultaneously, the PA and Fatah (and other factions) in Judea Samaria must demilitarize, terror must cease to be funded.
The kind of pressure that is put on Israel to end this war should be shifted to the Palestinian leadership.
They started it. They’ve shown no interest in stopping. They have stood in the way of any attempts at negotiation.
The plight of the Palestinians is real. But Israel isn’t responsible.
Here is the message.
Hamas, lay down your arms, surrender, release the hostages, and end this war.
A sensible solution.
And the paid posts are once a week (Thursday) with a free post every week (Sunday). You can still read the majority of the JPF. Thanks for following Geoffrey and I agree, it's important to share different viewpoints from Jewish authors.
Great comment. Thank you.