Netanyahu’s visit to the U.S. could be crucial to a ceasefire deal. But does he actually want one?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed in Washington on Monday to far less fanfare than he would have expected just a day earlier.
His highly-anticipated visit – chock-full of meetings with top US officials and a prized address to Congress – will now undoubtedly be overshadowed by US President Joe Biden’s stunning decision to drop out of the presidential race. But as detailed ceasefire negotiations aimed at turning a framework agreement into a final deal stretch into their third week, Netanyahu’s visit will still be critical to the prospects of a ceasefire in Gaza.
Senior US officials say a deal is within reach, but the prospects of a deal may hinge on the answer to one key question: Does Netanyahu actually want a deal?
The conventional wisdom in Israeli media, politics and on the streets of Tel Aviv would tell you that the answer to that question is no – that Netanyahu has much more to gain by prolonging the war and much more to lose by ending it. [Continue reading…]
Former hostage Noa Argamani reportedly tearfully told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting Monday that her most difficult experience during her eight months of captivity was hearing the premier declare that the war was going to be long.
“The hardest moment I had in captivity was when I listened to the radio and heard you say the war will be long. I thought, ‘I won’t get out of here.’ It was a breaking point for me,” Argamani told Netanyahu, according to Hebrew media reports on Tuesday.
She then reportedly broke down in tears and embraced another hostage relative who was at the meeting in Washington, DC, as Netanyahu’s face remained impassive. [Continue reading…]