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(LifeSiteNews) — A new report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz shows how Benjamin Netanyahu personally intervenes to derail any progress in ceasefire and hostage negotiations with Hamas.
Speaking of the process of talks from January to the present day, Haaretz says “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly torpedoed their progress – particularly when it came to decisive moments.”
The investigation by Haaretz’s Michael Hauser Tov shows how Netanyahu, together with his extreme Zionist coalition partners, has overruled and undermined the Israeli negotiating team, cancelling agreements made by them and the current MOSSAD chief, David Barnea.
The first attempts at negotiations in Qatar – led by Barnea – were derailed by Netanyahu in remarks described as “appalling” by the Qatari mediator, Majed Al-Ansari, on January 24.
We are appalled by the alleged remarks attributed to the Israeli Prime Minister in various media reports about Qatar’s mediation role. These remarks if validated, are irresponsible and destructive to the efforts to save innocent lives, but are not surprising.
For months, and…
— د. ماجد محمد الأنصاري Dr. Majed Al Ansari (@majedalansari) January 24, 2024
Israeli negotiator: ‘It’s clear we are not conducting negotiations’
Haaretz reports that as talks continued, an Israeli TV report in April 2024 found that Netanyahu routinely intervened to frustrate moves toward peace.
The revelations, made by a “senior Israeli negotiator,” show how the Israeli prime minister “bypasses the war cabinet” and the negotiating team to obstruct any peaceful resolution.
In an interview [with] TV program ‘Uvda,’ a senior member of the Israeli negotiating team says Netanyahu bypasses the war cabinet after it approves the mandate to the teams, and prevents them from carrying out their assignments.
The “senior negotiator” explained: “I can’t say that without Netanyahu there would be no deal,” said the official, presented as D. “I can say that the probability of a deal would be higher.”
This, says the source, has been the case for over six months.
D continued: “Since December, definitely since January, it’s clear to everyone that we’re not conducting negotiations.”
Why is this the case? D explains:
It happens again and again: You get a mandate during the day, then the prime minister makes phone calls at night, instructs ‘don’t say that’ and ‘I’m not approving this,’ thus bypassing both the team leaders and the war cabinet.
Netanyahu strikes again
Two weeks later, the war cabinet unanimously agreed to accept a deal on the return of the hostages. It hinges on a “sensitive decision – what would be the minimal number of hostages that Israel would find acceptable as part of an interim deal?”
Haaretz explains that the “number is classified as top secret, as Hamas would cling to the smallest number of hostages rather than a larger group.”
READ: The death of peace in Israel
With the cabinet “united” in agreement to the deal, “Netanyahu is forced to allow the negotiating team to press on.”
Zionist extremists to the rescue
How does Netanyahu respond? He leaks this top-secret intelligence to a Zionist extremist coalition partner, who describes the deal in the press as “a humiliating surrender.” As Haaretz reports:
That same day, Netanyahu meets with Minister Bezalel Smotrich and shares the sensitive number with him. Smotrich, who was not a member of the limited war cabinet, leaks it inaccurately to ministers and to the media.
Smotrich also threatened to collapse Netanyahu’s government by withdrawing the support of his extremist coalition party, saying, “If you decide to raise a white flag, the government you head will have no right to exist.”
This is a threat repeatedly made by fellow Zionist extremist Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Netanyahu has used these men and their two Zionist supremacist parties to undermine any meaningful progress towards peace.
Undermining the peace team
Haaretz reported that the next day, April 26, Netanyahu moved to undermine a negotiated agreement:
Netanyahu seeks to cancel the mandate given to the team, but is told that the Israeli response has already been relayed to the mediators. Netanyahu then releases several statements saying he will not agree to end the war without achieving the goals he has set.
In May, Netanyahu released statements to destroy a peace initiative to which Hamas had agreed.
“Israel will under no circumstances agree to end the war as part of a deal involving the release of hostages,” it read, whilst insisting Israel will invade Rafah whether there is a deal or not.
“The IDF will enter Rafah and destroy the Hamas battalions remaining there, whether there is a temporary truce for releasing the hostages or not.”
Netanyahu then moved to shut down Al Jazeera in Israel.
On May 6, Hamas agreed to a deal whose main elements comprise the one currently under consideration by Israel.
“Netanyahu told journalists off the record that ‘… Hamas’ response is delusional,’” wrote Haaretz.
Biden announces deal
On June 1, President Joe Biden announced a hostage framework deal. This had been presented to mediators between Israel and Hamas, but Haaretz reported that “Netanyahu refused to present it to the public.”
For this reason, Biden described the deal as an Israeli initiative.
Haaretz shows that Netanyahu immediately undermined Biden’s speech, privately briefing journalists that the deal is “a dead-end.” He says the war will continue, as extremists once again threaten to collapse his government if the deal proceeds. The war cabinet pressures him to move to peace.
Two days later – on June 3 – Netanyahu told a furious war cabinet he will not end the war according to the Biden framework. Leading members quit on June 9, citing Netanyahu’s refusal to provide a pathway to peace and a vision of postwar Gaza. He dissolved the war cabinet on June 17, one day after Hamas said it is ready for peace.
On June 23, Netanyahu told the Israeli Parliament he is “ready for a deal that would return some hostages,” but is “committed to continuing the war.” Violent protests break out around his home the same evening.
According to Israeli sources cited by Haaretz, Netanyahu’s position destroyed the negotiations:
Netanyahu made clear today he is not interested in releasing all the hostages and is unwilling to take the steps that Hamas seeks in return. In this situation, [Hamas leader] Sinwar has no motivation to make progress on a deal.
Hamas moves to agreement again
Haaretz reported that on July 2 that Hamas again moved to a peace agreement, yet the Finance Minister Smotrich once more leaked intelligence to the press – undermining the potential resolution.
Smotrich has said “there are 2 million Nazis in the West Bank,” in a November 2023 report which cites Netanyahu as saying, “I am the only one who will prevent a Palestinian state in Gaza and [the West Bank] after the war.”
Speaking of the leaks, Haaretz reported, “Senior defense officials subsequently accused Netanyahu of sharing classified information with Smotrich” to undermine peace efforts.
Despite these attempts to destroy any peace initiative, it says Hamas gave “the best answer received” so far in negotiations on July 4.
Haaretz concluded with an assessment from Israeli negotiators and politicians that Netanyahu is unwilling to secure the release of the hostages under any circumstances. A July 7 statement released by Netanyahu’s office – “published for the first time under his name” – frames the Israeli demands against the position of Hamas. Haaretz concluded:
Many in the negotiating teams as well in the political arena perceive the message as an admission that Netanyahu is not interested in a deal to return Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity.
Sacrificing hostages
Netanyahu has been accused of “sacrificing the hostages” for political ends by their families.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum levelled a telling charge against Netanyahu and his extremist allies.
“The captives, and the entire State of Israel, have been taken hostage by those who choose political interests over their national duties”
READ: Major Israeli paper warns Netanyahu is hurtling country toward self-destruction
Benjamin Netanyahu’s entire political career has been dedicated to the destruction of the peace process in Israel. With this new report, Haaretz adds his intentional sabotage of initiatives aimed at bringing to an end the most horrific slaughter in modern history.
The United States government agreed this week to resume the supply of 500lb bombs to Israel.
“Give peace no chance” is a fair assessment of the Netanyahu regime. His hostages now appear to include the U.S. government, as well as all the nations awaiting the explosion of the region into a war which could destroy us all.
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