ed note–in the most recent broadcast, we began by discussing/dissecting the manner in which huge swaths of people hailing from the ‘anti-Zionist league’ have embraced an entire smorgasbord of erroneous assumptions, one of which is that Israel has ‘lost’ the war with Hamas.
This sojourn on Fantasy Island began on Oct. 7th itself, where these types, driven more by their emotions than they were by their own common sense and the capacity to engage in ‘adult’ thinking, BELIEVED what Netanyahu and the Jewish state said when it was claimed that the attacks of that day ‘took Israel by surprise’. From there, it dominoed to include other detached-from-reality notions, one of which is that Israel actually seeks the release of the hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7th.
Again, these types are operating from the assumption that Netanyahu and his Torah-based government actually WANT the hostages back. It never occurs to them that were the hostages to be ‘redeemed’, that the Israel public might–MIGHT–begin advocating for a return to ‘normalcy’ and declare Gaza’s destruction a ‘done deal’ and thus press for a cease-fire.
Netanyahu and his cohorts–namely Smotrich and Ben Gvir–don’t care about the hostages, never did, never will. As far as they are concerned, the longer they are gone the better, as it gives the Judaic warlords justification for the continued carnage they are inflicting on Gaza. Even moreso, when these hostages die, either by being shot, bombed or starved deliberately by Israel, it can only enflame the Israeli public more, resulting not only in their support for the already-occurring genocide in Gaza, but as well, the demand for revenge later.
As we tried to convey in the most recent program, the battle against the Beast will only be won by people behaving like adults and not by buying into childish notions that–while they certainly sound good and result in everyone sticking out their chests with pride and honor, nevertheless–only helps to cloud and distort the reality of what all are facing today, not the least of which is what is being done to the Palestinians themselves.
Jpost
Israel will invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah with or without a hostage deal, Prime Minister Benjamin said on Tuesday during a meeting with forums of hostage families and families of fallen soldiers who are affiliated with the right and support the invasion.
The statement came after US officials said on Monday that new progress had been made in negotiations for a hostage deal, which would likely include at least a temporary suspension of plans to enter Rafah, the last major Hamas stronghold that the IDF has yet to attack.
‘The idea that we will halt the war before achieving all of its goals is out of the question. We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there – with or without a deal, in order to achieve the total victory,’ Netanyahu said.
Ben-Gvir and Netanyahu meet amid hostage deal
According to the prime minister’s office’s statement to the press, ‘The prime minister listened to their call to continue achieving the goals of the war and to withstand the international pressure.’
The two forums that met with the prime minister were the Hope Forum, which includes families of hostages, and the Heroism Forum, which includes families of fallen soldiers. Both are affiliated with the right and have largely called to increase military pressure in Gaza. These are separate from the larger Hostage and Missing Families Forum, which has taken an increasingly critical stand against the government.
Earlier Tuesday, the far-right flank of Israel’s government, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, both announced political steps aimed at pressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to move forwards with an invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Smotrich said in a statement late Monday night that his party would convene at Israel’s Knesset in Jerusalem in order to discuss the issue of Rafah. The meeting was scheduled for 2:00 p.m., the same time as a government meeting, and its three ministers will not attend the government meeting as a warning message to Netanyahu.
Ben-Gvir held a closed-door meeting with Netanyahu on Tuesday afternoon, prior to the general government meeting. A spokesperson for Ben-Gvir said that the meeting was ‘on the backdrop of the developing hostage deal and the fact that Israel has yet to enter Rafah.’
Both Ben-Gvir and Smotrich threatened in the past week to leave the government if Netanyahu agreed to cancel the invasion of Rafah.
The coalition currently includes 72 Knesset members. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich together have 14 seats, and without them the coalition will be left with 58 Knesset members, and will no longer have a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
Ben-Gvir said in a video statement following the meeting that the prime minister had promised that Israel would invade Rafah, that the war will not end, and that there will not be a ‘reckless’ deal.
He added that he believes the ‘Prime Minister understands what the significance is if these things do not happen.’
Smotrich later on in a press conference demanded that Netanyahu not wave a ‘white flag’ of surrender by agreeing to the Egyptian-brokered deal. He said that Israel was facing a fork in the road, with ‘no middle’, and said that he was willing to pay a ‘political price’ if Netanyahu decided to move forward with the deal.