U.S. public support for Israel's war against Hamas militants in Gaza is eroding and most Americans think Israel should call a ceasefire to a conflict that has ballooned into a humanitarian crisis, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.
I don't see why calling for a ceasefire is such a non-starter. Everyone there can go back to work butchering each other more effectively if they are well rested.
The entire country of Israel wants to build back their military reputation for deterrence. Opposing political parties got together to back their military response. Plus, almost everyone in Israel knows someone killed or captured by Hamas, that's why it was 15 9/11s or whatever. There is no high minded worry about peaceful ideals when your kid was killed by Hamas.
I'm against all the killing and especially of civilians, I think the US should and is pushing for a ceasefire, but I also see why it isn't working. It's not because the administration isn't trying hard enough, it's because nothing will stop the fighting until Israel achieves at least some of its goal for destroying Hamas and building back the deterrence.
It’s not because the administration isn’t trying hard enough, it’s because nothing will stop the fighting until Israel achieves at least some of its goal for destroying Hamas and building back the deterrence.
Errr... exactly what has the administration done? What consequences have there been for Israel, threatened or realized?
They got the 4hr pauses. The president went there. The Secretary of State went there. The land assault was pushed off for days in the beginning. They moved two carrier groups into the region to deter Hezbollah and Iran, and Iran has officially said they will not get involved.
They don't negotiate in public so obviously there is no example of threats, but there is evidence of an attempt at moderating the Israeli response, and in the past Biden's strategy has been to hug Israel in public to get as much as possible in private, something like agreeing to refuse to call for a ceasefire in public, as long as Israel does do the 4hr pauses. That very much reads to me as what the Admin achieved.
And since a ceasefire isn't on the table regardless of consequences right now due to Israeli domestic politics, a short 4hr daily ceasefire-in-all-but-name is a pretty big get.
Use available information to make an educated guess. As opposed to your method of deciding that because the maximalist position has not been achieved, clearly nobody has done anything at all.
It's also because the administration isn't trying hard enough. Reagan stopped the bombing of West Beirut with a phone call. Biden should at least be able to get Israel to follow the rules of war if he threatens them with cutting aid. Also these are 1200 people in a population of 10 million. I find it very hard to believe that most people know someone who was killed or captured.
Makes you wonder what dirt Mossad has on any of our politicians.
Which in a roundabout way is an argument for term limits; higher turnover provides less opportunity for skeletons to pile up in closets to compromise any vestigal integrity they have after becoming a politician.
I think it is because if the Israelis kill a lot of people in Gaza right now, they can later say it is because they were hot-headed and not planning things properly (which they should do anyways, so it doesn't really matter). If they stop now, and go back to attacking again later, they can't say that anymore.
Engaging with IDF sea lions on their terms is a waste of time. The point of the ceasefire is to relieve civilians in Gaza. Israel is about 10X worse than Hamas in terrorist terms by now. They have lost any moral authority they ever had.