Daniel Pipes
WSJ, July 31, 2024
“For nearly 10 months, Mr. Netanyahu equivocated between victory and hostages.”
Israel followed two opposite policies toward Hamas since Oct. 7: destroy the organization and make a deal with it. This unfortunate two-track approach resulted in many costs to Israel. The killing of Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday perhaps marks the end of this protracted indecision.
The former policy, victory over Hamas, has wide appeal and is articulated often by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. I count 182 mentions by him of “victory” in 63 discrete statements. “Our victory is your victory,” he said June 6 on French television. “Our victory is the victory of Israel against antisemitism. It is the victory of Judeo-Christian civilization against barbarism. It is the victory of France.”
Mr. Netanyahu speaks of “complete victory,” “total victory,” “clear victory,” “absolute victory,” “decisive victory” and “full victory.” He wore a “Total Victory” baseball cap on his flight to the U.S. last week and at his visit with Donald Trump.
But Mr. Netanyahu also pursues the latter policy: negotiate with Hamas and permit it to survive in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages. In agreeing to haggle with Hamas, Mr. Netanyahu heeds the demands of two powerful lobbies. Western and many Arab governments want a hostage deal, which they see as the best way to prevent a regional conflagration. Fighting already includes Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Gaza, the Red Sea and Yemen; governments fear that further expansion would drag in their forces. … [To read the full article, click here]
