GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 222

Division From All Sides

Infighting Over Post War Gaza

For those who recall the political state of Israel before October 7th there was a big battle over changing the power of their Supreme Court. There were riots in the streets and some feel that this divide was part of the reason Hamas attacked because they believed that the nation was weak. During this Prime Minister Netanyahu actually fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant because Gallant sided against him on the push. Apparently that bad blood is still there as we read in a report from The Times Of Israel:

In a televised address Wednesday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he must take “tough decisions” to advance non-Hamas governance of Gaza, whatever the personal or political cost, because the gains of the war are being eroded and Israel’s long-term security is at stake.

Gallant explained that not only should there not be any Israeli presence there, but that he wouldn’t enforce it:

Gallant warned in his address that he will not consent to Israeli civil or military governance of Gaza, and that governance by non-Hamas Palestinian entities, accompanied by international actors, is in Israel’s interest. Netanyahu, he said, must publicly rule out the notion of ongoing Israeli military or civil rule in the Strip.

As you could expect, these comments weren’t received well at all:

The public comments, seen as the most direct political challenge to Netanyahu from within his government since the start of the war, sparked an angry backlash among members of the coalition, who urged Netanyahu to fire the defense minister. Only hours earlier, the premier declared that any discussions of the “day after” in Gaza are meaningless until Hamas is defeated.

Netanyahu himself quickly retorted that he was “not prepared to switch from Hamastan to Fatahstan,” referencing the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority.

The article went on to say that Gallant’s feelings are more in line with the United States and international community on how Gaza should be handled once Hamas is gone. And it also repeated calls to leave behind a presence of some kind in areas already taken back in earlier fighting. This would dismantle Hamas’ governing ability, something that has validity.

“In the absence of such an alternative, only two negative options remain: Hamas’s rule in Gaza or Israeli military rule in Gaza,” Gallant warned. “The meaning of indecision is choosing one of the negative options. It would erode our military achievements, reduce the pressure on Hamas, and sabotage the chances of achieving a framework for the release of hostages,” he said.

Is this a way for Gallant to topple his political adversary or be some sort of payback for being fired before the war?

Gallant Also Blames The War Cabinet

The Defense Minister was also blunt about who he believes is not listening to his cautions:

Gallant claimed that since October, during sessions of the security cabinet, he has been bringing up the subject of finding a replacement for Hamas, but has been rebuffed.

“The end of the military campaign must come together with political action. The ‘day after Hamas’ will only be achieved with Palestinian entities taking control of Gaza, accompanied by international actors, establishing a governing alternative to Hamas’s rule. This, above all, is an interest of the State of Israel,” he said. “Unfortunately, this issue was not raised for discussion, and worse, no alternative was brought up in its place.”

“Indecision is, in essence, a decision. This leads to a dangerous course, which promotes the idea of Israeli military and civilian governance in Gaza,” he warned. “This is a negative and dangerous option for the State of Israel — strategically, militarily, and from a security standpoint.”

We also see more on this from others in the government on this touchy issue found in an article from The Jerusalem Post:

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich demanded that Netanyahu immediately bring forward a decision to bar the Palestinian Authority from entering the Gaza Strip and then “force Gallant to choose between realizing the government’s policy and resigning.”

“A government that I belong to will not continue the ‘concept’ [and] will not establish a Palestinian state that will endanger Israel’s existence,” Smotrich stated.

Another minister added his feelings:

Justice Minister Yariv Levin said in a written statement, “The people of Israel are unwilling to be disgraced. The people of Israel are not willing to be led to a process of Oslo 2, which would lead Israel to another disaster [and] will not agree to pass Gaza to control of the terror Palestinian Authority. The people of Israel know that Israel’s safety will be achieved only by determination to win and not by relying on quiet from lowly terrorists and their different organizations.”

As we’ve seen in the past, a bigger list of the same supporters of Netanyahu spoke up:

Other ministers who voiced criticism included National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit), National Missions Minister Orit Strock (Religious Zionist Party), and Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi (Likud).

Lastly, another political foe and someone thought to be elected as the next prime minister if elections are held, sided with the Defense Minister:

Minister-without-portfolio Benny Gantz supported Gallant, stating later on Wednesday evening, “The defense minister is speaking the truth – the leadership’s responsibility is to do what is right for the country, at any price.”

Does The US Really Support Israel?

I’m sure I’m not alone in wondering why so many were all for Israel taking out Hamas and sending military support along with political support all along during the war, but now don’t want Israel to finish them off in Rafah. It’s very confusing, but are we missing something here? Is there something in Rafah that these now dovish leaders don’t want us to discover? Or do they want to take out the Netanyahu government in favor of one that will allow Gaza to be ruled by Palestinians and actually establish a separate state for them? We don’t know, but one thing is certain, Hamas stated they are targeting Gallant in their psyops letter found earlier. Many thought it was because they see him as a weak link, but could it be because they know he will let terrorists continue to rule in the area or maybe that he will try and take down the Prime Minister for them in favor of Gallant who is thought to be supporter of the two state solution? And what of the United States? Do they secretly want Netanyahu out to be replaced by Benny Gantz? An article found in Tablet Magazine seems to think so:

In the eyes of the Biden administration Hamas is the smaller problem. The bigger problem is Benjamin Netanyahu. The U.S. is willing to live with Iran’s proxies everywhere, as part of its “regional integration” policy—i.e., appeasing Iran. But they are unwilling to live with Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition. The stubborn Netanyahu clearly does not want to learn from his would-be tutors like U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken how to “share the neighborhood” with genocidaires in Gaza, Judea and Samaria, Lebanon, and Tehran, whom his electorate understands to be bent on murdering them.

The author, Gadi Taub sees the US as a true adversary of Israel and not the “ironclad” supporter they say they are:

If the Netanyahu problem is too big to contain, then it follows that it must be solved. And it seems that the Biden administration has zeroed in on what Tony Badran has called a Herodian solution: finding a local proxy who will impose the U.S. agenda on a reluctant Israeli electorate.

Taub looks to history for a comparison:

King Herod the Great won his throne because the Roman Empire stepped in and helped him defeat his Israelite adversaries. The American empire wants to help install Benny Gantz as Israel’s next prime minister for the same reason: The plan is for the administration to help him defeat Netanyahu, then for him to assemble a dovish coalition that will return Israel to the two-state track negotiations—which, though unlikely to produce two states, would nevertheless help “de-escalate” in Gaza, the last hot spot in the region where Iran’s power is actually challenged.

The article tells us that the leadership in America actually are more Pro-Iran than we think:

The U.S. is holding Israel on a leash by rationing the American-made ammunition on which the war effort depends; it has forced us to supply our enemies with “humanitarian aid” which Hamas controls and which sustains its ability to fight; the U.S. is building a port to subvert our control of the flow of goods into Gaza; it refrained from vetoing an anti-Israel decision at the U.N. Security Council at the end of March; it leaked its intention to recognize a Palestinian state unilaterally; it allowed Iran to attack us directly with a barrage of over 300 rockets and drones without paying any price whatsoever; and then told us that Israel’s successful defense against that strike (which was mostly stopped by a combination of superior Israeli tech and faulty Iranian missiles that crashed all over the Middle East, and to some extent by U.S. interceptors) should be considered “victory”; it consistently protects Hezbollah from a full-fledged Israeli attack; it did all it can to prevent the ground invasion of Rafah, which is necessary for winning the war; it is trying to stop the war with a hostage deal that would ensure Hamas’ survival.

In short, the US wants any Rafah operation to be stalled if not stopped if only to make Netanyahu look bad in any new election.

The hope is this:

It is not at all clear that Israel can survive four more years of a Democratic administration determined to carve out a Palestinian terror state in the heart of the land of Israel, as part of an “integrated”—that is, Iran-dominated—Middle East. If it is to survive at all, Israel must break the noose that Iran is assembling around us, and which the Biden administration is actively promoting and protecting. Once Iran actually gets nuclear weapons, the danger will increase exponentially.

Now we might see why everyone doesn’t want Israel to go into Rafah. If they do and route Hamas as expected, Netanyahu will be a war hero. And Iran and its supporters can’t have that. Pray against the plans and schemes formed in the heavenlies that will cause less peace in Jerusalem than God wants. Pray against the Prince of Persia and his plans to obliterate all Jews from the face of the earth. Just like Haman he must be exposed and stopped. And we are here to pray during a time like this.