Israel at War: Week 74

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed anger toward the United States holding direct talks with Hamas, and Adam Boehler is the envoy tasked with that responsibility. The Times of Israel founding Editor, David Horovitz, expresses his concerns about U.S. envoy Boehler’s negotiation plan. His concerns are that Boehler is “complacent, confused, and dangerously naive.” He has ten problems with Boehler serving as the U.S. Envoy in the Hamas hostage negotiations. Here are just four:

1. He calls Palestinian prisoners “hostages.”

2. He calls Israeli hostages “prisoners.”

3. He tries to ‘identify with the human elements’ of Hamas leaders.

4. He thinks Hamas will ultimately choose to ‘melt away.’ 

Horovitz’s concerns are valid, especially with the cavalier attitude Boehler seems to have toward Hamas, a violent and brutal terror organization who desires Israel’s destruction. As one commentator says, “If your enemy tells you he wants to kill you, believe him.”

To hear these statements coming from the envoy negotiating for the release of the hostages is baffling at least and disconcerting at most. Especially his desire to deal with the human elements of Hamas and presume that Hamas will simply lay down their weapons and “melt away.” I wonder if he saw any of the footage from October 7, 2023 of beheaded babies, burned bodies, and brutalized innocents? If he had, he certainly would not make assertions of Hamas’ humanity and them “melting away.”

As Horovitz concludes, Boehler represents “a US President who it must now be hoped, will relieve the burden of negotiations from an envoy who, in interview after interview, where he was given a platform to explain what he has been up to, wound up needing to clarify that Hamas are by DEFINITION, BAD people.” As one friend commented, “He doesn’t understand jihad.” The question is when will he understand that? This envoy must concern Israelis deeply and we should share their concern.

(Source: timesofisrael.com)