Now we know why Adam Boehler actually couldn't believe that Hamas wouldn't keep their word. His advisor was a Hamasnik. But also thinking Hamas was an an honorable group of people also shows everyone how unmitigatingly stupid Boehler actually is even without the Hamas jingle in his ear. And these idiots (Witkoff and Boehler) are in Oman negotiating on behalf of the US against Hamas' patron Iran. Only their paymasters, Qatar, also Hamas patrons, are whispering in their ears now.
>>In the last 10 years, no one—Netanyahu included—proposed conquering Gaza and eliminating Hamas.<<
The previous opportunity to conquer Gaza was in 2014. But having Obama in the White House and Livni, Bogi, Bennet and Liberman in the cabinet (all left and anti-Bibi) - this was not realistic. Netanyahu did want to strike Iran in 2012 but the military and security leaked the plans to Obama.
>>if he had been woken up on the morning of October 7, what would he have done?<<
For starters he would have evacuated Nova and wake up troops.
Would it be fair to say that every Western statesman and military and intelligence official shared in Israel’s conceptzia, at least publicly and even if their reason might well have differed?
The sad reality is that before the October 7 barbarism, any Israeli attack and conquest of Gaza would have been an international firestorm with dire consequences to Israel’s standing in the world.
And how do we know that’s true? If the October 7 invasion was not a casus bellum, then nothing could be. Notwithstanding that simple fact, the international reaction to Israel’s self-defense, knowing of Hamas’ serial violations of the Laws of Armed Conflict and International Humanitarian Law tells you everything you need to know.
So, it may be that even without the constraints of the conceptzia, there was no way Israel could have gone in to Gaza, rooted out Hamas and destroyed the terror infrastructure and survived the international backlash (especially from the U.S.) - which is why Lieberman was ignored.
How ironic then is it to consider that Yahya Sinwar’s ill-advised (in retrospect only) decision to launch his attack that gave Israel the cover it needed to serially undermine Iran’s “Ring of Fire” and turning the tables on Ayatollah Khameini himself. Whether the task at hand can be completed or this once in a lifetime opportunity is squandered remains to be seen.
Were it to guess, I would say the Iranians have learned nothing from their earlier experience with President Trump’s deadlines, then again any agreement along the lines of the U.S. demands would be too humiliating for the Iranians regime’s survival. If that’s correct, blood and treasure will be spent. Only time will tell.
Now we know why Adam Boehler actually couldn't believe that Hamas wouldn't keep their word. His advisor was a Hamasnik. But also thinking Hamas was an an honorable group of people also shows everyone how unmitigatingly stupid Boehler actually is even without the Hamas jingle in his ear. And these idiots (Witkoff and Boehler) are in Oman negotiating on behalf of the US against Hamas' patron Iran. Only their paymasters, Qatar, also Hamas patrons, are whispering in their ears now.
>>In the last 10 years, no one—Netanyahu included—proposed conquering Gaza and eliminating Hamas.<<
The previous opportunity to conquer Gaza was in 2014. But having Obama in the White House and Livni, Bogi, Bennet and Liberman in the cabinet (all left and anti-Bibi) - this was not realistic. Netanyahu did want to strike Iran in 2012 but the military and security leaked the plans to Obama.
>>if he had been woken up on the morning of October 7, what would he have done?<<
For starters he would have evacuated Nova and wake up troops.
>>The conceptzia—the widespread assumption within Israel’s security establishment that Hamas was deterred<<
The conceptzia was not about Hamas at all. It was about blindly trusting military and Shin Bet and Aman.
Would it be fair to say that every Western statesman and military and intelligence official shared in Israel’s conceptzia, at least publicly and even if their reason might well have differed?
The sad reality is that before the October 7 barbarism, any Israeli attack and conquest of Gaza would have been an international firestorm with dire consequences to Israel’s standing in the world.
And how do we know that’s true? If the October 7 invasion was not a casus bellum, then nothing could be. Notwithstanding that simple fact, the international reaction to Israel’s self-defense, knowing of Hamas’ serial violations of the Laws of Armed Conflict and International Humanitarian Law tells you everything you need to know.
So, it may be that even without the constraints of the conceptzia, there was no way Israel could have gone in to Gaza, rooted out Hamas and destroyed the terror infrastructure and survived the international backlash (especially from the U.S.) - which is why Lieberman was ignored.
How ironic then is it to consider that Yahya Sinwar’s ill-advised (in retrospect only) decision to launch his attack that gave Israel the cover it needed to serially undermine Iran’s “Ring of Fire” and turning the tables on Ayatollah Khameini himself. Whether the task at hand can be completed or this once in a lifetime opportunity is squandered remains to be seen.
Were it to guess, I would say the Iranians have learned nothing from their earlier experience with President Trump’s deadlines, then again any agreement along the lines of the U.S. demands would be too humiliating for the Iranians regime’s survival. If that’s correct, blood and treasure will be spent. Only time will tell.
The veteran Dan Schueftan echoed Koteich comments about Israeli power in a recent pod cast. Sometimes you need the perspective of longevity.