GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 242

Trying To Stay In Power

Is Netanyahu Prolonging The War?

There are those both outside and even inside Israel that think that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is using the current war to keep himself in power. In an article from The Times Of Israel, which we will use exclusively in this report, Joe Biden seems to think there is some truth to that assertion:

United States President Joe Biden said people have “every reason” to believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is dragging out the war in Gaza to remain in power, but also asserted that the Israeli premier is prepared to do almost anything to secure the release of the hostages.

When asked about to explain about it Biden seemed to back off the comment, but then affirm it:

Asked in an interview with Time magazine published Tuesday whether he accepts the allegation made by some that Netanyahu is prolonging the war for his own political self-preservation, Biden responded, “I’m not going to comment on that.”

But he subsequently added, “There is every reason for people to draw that conclusion.”

The remark made headlines and sparked follow up questions during White House and State Department briefings later today. Administration spokespeople declined to elaborate further on whether Biden himself shared the views of Netanyahu’s critics.

One reporter tried to get an answer at another time:

A reporter shouted the question again at Biden after he wrapped up a speech at the White House on Tuesday afternoon, asking again whether Netanyahu has been playing politics with the Gaza war.

“I don’t think so, Biden responded, apparently trying to calm tensions that may have been sparked by his remark to Time. “He’s trying to work out the serious problem that he has.”

Netanyahu has long faced this allegation from critics, but it has intensified in recent days as far-right coalition partners have threatened to collapse his government if the premier sticks with the hostage deal proposal he authorized last week, which would potentially bring about an end to the war in Gaza.

The report adds that the problem is not having an official plan for Gaza once the war ends:

Netanyahu for months held off on holding strategic meetings regarding the post-war governance of Gaza, avoiding having to push back against National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who have called for permanently occupying Gaza and reestablishing settlements there. However, the Israeli security establishment has argued that failure to advance a viable alternative to Hamas has allowed the terror group to quickly fill vacuums created by the Israel Defense Forces on the battlefields, further extending the war.

Every Reason To Believe

Biden, who was interviewed by Time Magazine said this about the power claim against the PM, but also noted that Netanyahu is aggressively pursuing getting the hostages back:

United States President Joe Biden said people have “every reason” to believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is dragging out the war in Gaza to remain in power, but also asserted that the Israeli premier is prepared to do almost anything to secure the release of the hostages.

Asked in an interview with Time magazine published Tuesday whether he accepts the allegation made by some that Netanyahu is prolonging the war for his own political self-preservation, Biden responded, “I’m not going to comment on that.”

But he subsequently added, “There is every reason for people to draw that conclusion.”

Chatter inside the White House ensued:

The remark made headlines and sparked follow up questions during White House and State Department briefings later today. Administration spokespeople declined to elaborate further on whether Biden himself shared the views of Netanyahu’s critics.

As we noted earlier, Netanyahu continues to face this criticism, but it’s getting stronger and stronger as a new hostage deal is on the table, one that politicians on the right have assailed:

Netanyahu has long faced this allegation from critics, but it has intensified in recent days as far-right coalition partners have threatened to collapse his government if the premier sticks with the hostage deal proposal he authorized last week, which would potentially bring about an end to the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu for months held off on holding strategic meetings regarding the post-war governance of Gaza, avoiding having to push back against National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who have called for permanently occupying Gaza and reestablishing settlements there. However, the Israeli security establishment has argued that failure to advance a viable alternative to Hamas has allowed the terror group to quickly fill vacuums created by the Israel Defense Forces on the battlefields, further extending the war.

Premature Planning Asserted

Prime Minister Netanyahu still thinks that there will be time for such talks, but not until after the war ends which frustrates American leaders:

Netanyahu has argued that talk of day-after planning is overblown before Israel defeats Hamas, as no one will be willing to replace the terror group as long as it is still in power.

This approach has caused significant frustration in Washington, which has pushed Israel to plan for post-war Gaza since the early days of the war.

Biden also brought up the unrest in Israel just before the attacks on October 7th:

Biden also mentioned the “unhelpful” judicial overhaul that Netanyahu sought to advance before October 7. He noted that it got “blowback” from the Israeli security establishment, which warned the premier that it was causing societal divisions that Israel’s enemies would seek to exploit.

He mentioned again that the Israeli PM is almost desperate to get the hostages back, a plan that Hamas planned to use from the very start:

While Biden still appeared to question Netanyahu’s motivations in the Time interview, he also insisted that the prime minister is “prepared to do about anything to get the hostages back.”

Time gave more details on those comments:

That assertion wasn’t included in the writeup of the interview, but it was in the full transcript that Time published separately.

The transcript showed that Biden also said that Netanyahu is under “enormous pressure” to secure a hostage deal: “The Israelis desperately want a ceasefire in order to get the hostages home.”

The magazine seems to want to make Biden look like he’s the one supporting Israel more than his political opponent:

Time pointed to former US president Donald Trump’s assertion that Netanyahu should be criticized for failing to thwart the October 7 attack and asked Biden whether the prime minister bears responsibility.

Biden then talked about the buck no stopping with Netanyahu, which might be a deflection that will help him when he faces charges from his critics:

Biden appeared to defend Netanyahu to a degree: “I don’t know how any one person has that responsibility. He was the leader of the country, so therefore, it happened. But he wasn’t the only one that didn’t pick it up.”

Biden’s Big Dispute

So what is the major issue with Netanyahu? Biden tells us it is this:

“My major disagreement with Netanyahu is what happens after, what happens after Gaza’s over? What does it go back to? Do Israeli forces go back in? I’ve been talking to the Egyptians… the Saudis… the Jordanians… the Emiratis. The answer is, if that’s the case, it can’t work,” he said, indicating that Arab states will not be willing to assist in the post-war stabilization of Gaza if Israel remains in the Strip.

He then mentioned the infamous and failed experiment of the two-state solution:

“There is a clear path for a transition where the Arab states would provide security and reconstruction in Gaza in return for a longer-term commitment to a transition to a two-state solution,” Biden says, referring to a framework that Netanyahu has rejected.

“There needs to be a two-state solution, a transition to a two-state solution. That’s my biggest disagreement with Bibi Netanyahu,” Biden says.

Biden said that Arab assistance in the post-war stabilization of Gaza could extend to Saudi Arabia.

The article then moves to addressing charges of war crimes against Israel:

Asked whether Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza, Biden said it’s “uncertain,” but that Israel has been investigating such charges itself, highlighting an argument used by his administration against the involvement of the International Criminal Court, which is supposed to be a tribunal of last resort for states that don’t probe themselves.

“The ICC is something that we don’t recognize,” Biden said.

If Israel is purposely hurting Gazans also came up and Biden mentioned also put blame on Hamas as well:

Pressed on claims by critics of the Jewish state that Israel is intentionally starving Gazans, Biden responded, “No, I don’t think that.”

“I think they’ve engaged in activity that is inappropriate,” the president said. “One thing is certain, the people in Gaza, the Palestinians have suffered greatly, for lack of food, water, medicine, etc. And a lot of innocent people have been killed.

“But a lot of it has to do not just with Israelis, but what Hamas is doing in Israel as we speak,” Biden clarified.

Avoiding A Quagmire

Biden mentions how Hamas is not playing nice and hasn’t for a long time:

While his aides regularly extend this argument to Hamas’s use of human shields in Gaza, Biden instead highlighted the terror group’s “intimidation” of the Israeli population.

He brought up his visit to Israel last year to give that statement context:

He recalled how he had visited Israel after the October 7 terror onslaught. “What they did exceeded anything I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen a lot. Tying mothers and daughters together with rope and pouring kerosene on it and burning them to death. That kind of thing — attempting to intimidate. And it is dastardly,” Biden said.

Biden seemed to offer Netanyahu some historical advice:

He recalled how he urged Israeli leaders during his visit not to make the same mistakes that the US had made in Afghanistan and Iraq that led to “endless wars.”

“They’re making that mistake,” Biden lamented.

His advisors are feeding him lines to promote the quick ending to this war and that it is more about politics than anything else. Winning the Muslim and the Jewish vote is part of Biden’s strategy to get a second term and he needs this war to end with both sides on his side. It’s risky, but if it makes him look like he played a leading role in bringing peace to the Middle East it might just work. The Bible should be more of a guide to him than any of the voices speaking to him now. Dividing up the land of Israel is something that God despises. In Joel 3:2, the Lord says: “I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. Then I will enter into judgment with them there on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land.”

God takes this idea of a two-state solution very seriously and so should we. As we pray for the peace of Jerusalem we need to keep this on that prayer list. Pray that Israel takes back all the areas that they have been given. Period. I know there are even Christians who will take umbrage to that statement, but it’s not me they are opposing. It’s God.