Folks, tensions have reached a boiling point between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Biden-Harris administration, and it all centers on a topic that couldn’t be more urgent: the ongoing hostage crisis involving Hamas.
Here’s the situation: After the tragic execution of six more hostages by Hamas, including 23-year-old American Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin, emotions are running high. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris condemned the brutal actions of Hamas, which is exactly what you’d expect. But then Biden took it a step further, criticizing Netanyahu and claiming that Israel wasn’t doing enough to secure a deal with Hamas for the release of the remaining hostages.
And that’s where Netanyahu hit back—hard.
Netanyahu, visibly frustrated, laid out a clear case, showing that Israel has, in fact, made significant concessions, many at the behest of the Biden-Harris administration. Israel has shown restraint, he argued, even when Hamas repeatedly failed to meet them halfway in negotiations.
According to Netanyahu, Israel had been ready to move forward on a deal just five days prior, with Deputy CIA Director David Cohen even acknowledging Israel’s seriousness. But it was Hamas that backed out, not Israel.
Must Watch Video Remarks from @IsraeliPM @netanyahu: "I was asked whether I am not doing enough to the release of hostages. Well, I want to set the record straight. On April 27th, Secretary of State Blinken said that, ‘Israel made an extraordinary, generous offer for a hostage… pic.twitter.com/yT1rHKbOCJ
— David Milstein (@davidamilstein) September 2, 2024
“What’s changed in the last five days?” Netanyahu asked. And his answer was chilling: “One thing: these murderers executed six of our hostages. They shot them in the back of the head.”
His voice brimming with emotion, Netanyahu demanded to know why, after such an atrocity, Israel was still being asked to show restraint and make more concessions. What kind of message does that send to Hamas? It tells them that killing more hostages might actually work in their favor.
Netanyahu’s point was crystal clear: The pressure needs to be on Hamas, not Israel. He argued that it’s Hamas who needs to make the concessions now, not the other way around. He expressed disbelief that anyone serious about ending the violence and saving the hostages would expect Israel to continue making one-sided concessions.