Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
Gaza Peace Deal Already Collapsing
Benjamin Netanyahu came to the White House Monday to reluctantly agree to a peace proposal from the Americans that he knows is a non-starter. But it gives him cover for continuing his war, and as a result, staying out of jail. The deal he accepted is already in trouble, though. His own coalition partners are criticizing it, and he has personally vowed that there will never be a Palestinian state. Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Trump, however, have stage managed things so that Hamas will reject the deal and take up the blame for continuing the war.
Mr. Netanyahu got a smack down from his own finance minister Bezalel Smotrich in the last few hours. He said it was a "resounding diplomatic failure," and that the whole thing will "end in tears." Leaving aside all the tears shed on all sides since October 7, 2023, that is not a ringing endorsement from a close political ally. Nor was it a case of mis-speaking. The FM went on to say this deal was “a closing of eyes and turning our backs on all the lessons of October 7, and in my estimation, it will also end in tears. Our children will be forced to fight in Gaza again.”
Zvi Sukkot, another member of Smotrich's Religious Zionism party, wrote on X that the proposals' "entire rationale is based on an artificial differentiation between the [Gazan] population and Hamas, and they will supposedly give up the dream of murdering us in return for money."
Hamas has not responded to the demand that they get on board. Reuters noted "Hamas was not involved in the negotiations that led to the proposal, which calls on the Islamist militant group to disarm, a demand it has previously rejected. However, an official briefed on the talks told Reuters that the group "would review it in good faith and provide a response."
The American president said the organization that ran Gaza and attacked Israel could take 3 or 4 days to consider it. Reuters reported that it had a source near the Hamas leadership that described the deal as "completely biased to Israel," and that it imposed "impossible conditions." If this source is any good at all, Hamas will reject the deal. At very least, it will offer amendments that the Israelis will call unreasaonable, poison pills designed to kill the agreement. Hamas will take the blame either way.
So, the war will go on. More people will die. More hatred will spread (although the area has to be near maximum density on this by now). This really only ends when there are no more targets for the IDF to attack.
What is especially disappointing is that this deal is not new. The Financial Times wrote this morning:
Yair Lapid, the Israeli opposition leader, said on Monday that the Trump plan formed the "correct basis for a hostage deal and the end of the war". "The most prominent thing about the 20-point plan -- it was actually already on the table a year and a half ago. Lives of hostages could have been saved, lives of [Israeli] fighters, thousands of wounded, the diplomatic crisis," he added on Tuesday.
Or at least, the kabuki theatre over caring about the hostages would be over long ago.
Worst of all, even it the deal were implemented, it would not bring peace. After the last two years, neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians are in the mood to get along. Each views the other as animals. Under such circumstances, the war might end, but the killing will go on in an unorganized way. It will go back to the low-level violence of a few years ago. But one must never forget that the region is a powder keg in a desert during a drought next to a match factory and oil refinery.
No peace is possible without changing rulers in Israel and Gaza. And no change will come while the hatred is being stoked.
© Copyright 2025 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
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