by Mike Whitney, The Unz Review:
Biden: Israel is offering a ceasefire.
Israel: We’re not.
Biden: I negotiated this ceasefire
Israel: There’s no ceasefire agreement.
Biden: The ceasefire will begin soon.
Israel: It won’t.
Rinse and repeat. @Pimso B
The Biden administration’s ceasefire resolution is a cynical fraud aimed at airbrushing Israel’s tattered image while laying the groundwork for the final expulsion of the Palestinian people. In truth, there won’t be a ceasefire because Netanyahu and his entire cabinet are adamantly opposed to ending the hostilities. There’s not even any gray area here. After the US-drafted resolution was passed on Monday, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office delivered a terse statement saying the following:
TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/
“The claim that Israel agreed to end the war before achieving all its goals is a total lie,” says the PMO….
The full document, argues Netanyahu’s office, would show that “Israel will not end the war until all its conditions are met — that is, fighting until Hamas is eliminated, returning all of our hostages, and ensuring that Gaza never again represents a threat to Israel.” (Times of Israel)
Repeat: “Israel will not end the war until all its conditions are met — (and) until Hamas is eliminated.”
So, what was the point of pushing through a ceasefire resolution when it had zero chance of being implemented? Was it just a publicity stunt?
And, why is Secretary of State Anthony Blinken –not only saying that Israel supports the proposal– but that Israel actually had a hand in crafting its language. Here’s Blinken on Monday:
“First, let me be very clear, Israel has accepted the proposal, in fact, they were critical in putting it forward. It is the official position of the Israeli government, the prime minister. So, the only party that has not said ‘Yes’ is Hamas. That’s who everyone is waiting on. That’s who the Palestinians are waiting on, it’s who the Israelis are waiting on, and it’s who the hostages and the hostage families are waiting on. It’s who the entire region and the entire world are waiting on. So, we’ll see, does Hamas want to end this war that it started or not? We’ll find out. But it’s clear that virtually the entire world has come together in support of the proposal. So, the only question is will Hamas say ‘Yes’? @AssalRad
This is a total fabrication and Blinken knows it:
Israel has NOT accepted the proposal
Israel was NOT “critical in putting the ceasefire resolution forward”
The ceasefire resolution is NOT “the official position of the Israeli government (and) the prime minister.”
These are baldfaced lies, and very stupid lies at that, because they can be easily checked and disproved. Take a look:
“The only obstacle for peace” pic.twitter.com/TSokI0zpa0
— Alonso Gurmendi (@Alonso_GD) June 10, 2024
Repeat: “In a preemptive response to the UN Security Council’s decision, Netanyahu says, “We will not agree to any deal that leads to ending the war.”
Netanyahu’s position is crystal clear and has been for a long time: The rampage will continue for the foreseeable future. So, why is Blinken deliberately misleading the public? What is the objective here? This is from CNN just hours after the resolution was approved by the UNSC:
Israel has vowed to persist with its military operation in Gaza, saying it won’t engage in “meaningless” negotiations with Hamas, shortly after the United Nations Security Council overwhelmingly approved a US-backed ceasefire plan intended to bring an end to the eight-month war…
(Israel’s) senior diplomat (Reut Shapir Ben-Naftaly) said the war would not end until all hostages were returned and Hamas’ capabilities were “dismantled,” accusing the Palestinian militant group of using “endless negotiations… as a means to stall for time.”
Her comments came after 14 of the 15 UNSC council members voted in favor of Monday’s US-drafted resolution, with only Russia abstaining – the first time the council has endorsed such a plan to end the war…..
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on a diplomatic trip to the Middle East, said Tuesday that in a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the Israeli leader “reaffirmed his commitment” to the current proposal to secure a ceasefire and hostage release, which is still awaiting an answer from Hamas. Blinken said that he got an explicit assurance from Netanyahu that he continues to support the deal, and will accept it if Hamas agrees to what is on the table. …
But an Israeli statement on Tuesday indicated it was poised to formally sign up to the current ceasefire plan for Gaza, while at the same time maintaining the freedom to keep fighting… Israel vows to press on in Gaza after UN Security Council approves ceasefire proposal, CNN
Can you see how ridiculous and Orwellian this is? Israel will agree to a ceasefire as long as it has “the freedom to keep fighting”. Huh? In case you’re wondering, the definition of “ceasefire” is “a suspension of fighting.” Therefore, we must assume that if the fighting continues, there is no ceasefire.
