Biden Peace Plan: Unrealistic Convenience for West

Once again Israel is faced with a peace deal that may be a convenience for the west, but could be disastrous for Israel and Bibi Netanyahu’s hold on power.

Yet, President Joe Biden, who has put his own reputation on the line by declaring he’s a Zionist, needs a win just as Netanyahu does.

He knows his plan to halt the war with Hamas may not be accepted. But, he hopes it will quiet down the anti-war activists throwing an unwanted obstacle in his November re-election bid.

As for Bibi, his own coalition is threatened from within if he gives in to Hamas demands in any peace deal.

The PM’s war cabinet member Benny Gantz has said he’s going to give it until June 8 for the Israeli government to have a viable plan for the Gaza Strip. “It’s very unlikely that Netanyahu is going to meet that deadline,” he said.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said they were opposed to striking any deal before Hamas was destroyed.

While I may not agree with the way Israel has carried on its war against Hamas, I’m a strong believer that Hamas should be banned from all Palestinians areas. That won’t happen with the Biden plan.

Anything short of destroying the Hamas presence in Gaza would be a betrayal to memories of the October 7th dead and the IDF troops who have died fighting Hamas.

For its part, Hamas has said it could not agree to a peace deal without a clear Israeli position on a permanent cease-fire and complete withdrawal from Gaza.

The decision followed Bibi’s pledge to continue military operations until Hamas is destroyed, despite a cease-fire proposal in the Biden plan which only calls for temporary six week halt in fighting.

It should be obvious Hamas simply wants to reset its position as the Gaza Strip government pre October 2023.

On the one hand it wants Israel to leave Gaza, but on the other it expects Israel to reconstruct Gaza.

Going by past Hamas bargaining, it will expect all of its members held as prisoners in Israel released before the hostages are released. The terror group needs fresh troops considering the beating they’ve been taking the past seven months.

As for the hostages, the exact number of those surviving remains a mystery as does their locations. One Hamas official admitted no one knows where they all are.

On the subject of Israel’s presence in Gaza, it will have to occupy the strip while the reconstruction takes over the next few years, making sure homes, not tunnels, are rebuilt.

After that, the Gaza Strip will either be part of the long awaited two-state-solution, remain an independent mini state or be annexed by Israel.