December 4, 2023Gronda Morin

Netanyahu cannot just crush HAMAS without also insuring the release of hostages in GAZA

NETANYAHU AND KUSHNER
Disclaimer: While I’m critical of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing colleagues because of my deeply held belief that they were in a position to prevent the carnage that occurred within Israel on October 7, 2023 by HAMAS in Gaza, I’m also calling for the ouster of HAMAS where their members will never be allowed to hold political office and that those who are found guilty of war crimes will suffer the consequences.  And I have no doubt that many from this terrorist group and governing body over Palestinians in Gaza will be found guilty of war crimes.
***
The Trump-like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shouldn’t be allowed to claim that he can’t be subjected to an inquiry and/ or questioned about the epic military- intelligence failure suffered by Israelis on October 7, 2023, until the military mission to neuter HAMAS military and political power in Gaza is completed. This could take years as there are no specifics as to what success looks like. HAMAS is the terrorist governing body of Palestinians in Gaza which conducted a surprise morning horrific attack where about 1000s of Hamas fighters poured across the border into Israel, in an assault that killed over 1,000 Israelis, while taking hostage of about 200 peoples.
***
HAMAS soldiers directed from Gaza were beyond brutal in their assault. Israel has every right to make sure that HAMAS will never again be in a position to do a repeat attack.
***
But the above-described reality just adds fuel to my anger against the current Israeli power brokers who have a history of propping up HAMAS as detailed in my blogs.
***
The US and other world leaders can’t afford to not immediately begin demanding transparency and accountability regarding PM Netanyahu’s October 2023 epic failure. He shouldn’t be the one allowed to set the timetable for when this should occur.
***
For starters, here are questions that require immediate answers include:
***
How is it that Hamas, designated as a terrorist group could successfully attack Israeli citizens, killing and injuring thousands while taking over 200 hostages on October 7, 2023, when the Israeli Intelligence infrastructure had over a year’s notice of this detailed 40-page plan of an attack by HAMAS, termed “Jericho?”

How is it that Israeli soldiers had been collecting and sharing intel within weeks of the October 7 attack about how HAMAS had been conducting war-like military maneuvers and training that were ignored by decision makers?

How is it that many in the Netanyahu camp have been able to claim that they discounted the above timely intelligence because they believed HAMAS exaggerated its capabilities? What intelligence did they have that would allow for this epic military failure?

Why did it take the Israeli military over 7 hours to respond to initial attack by HAMAS?

How is it that HAMAS had data that allowed them to successfully attack targets that were not publicly known?

How does Israel explain the proportionality of targeting legitimate HAMAS terrorists vs high numbers of collateral civilian casualties by Israeli military response attacks soon after October 7, 2023, being way outside past Israeli standards? The US in providing arms to Israel are subject to the constraints of rules set out by the Geneva Convention and we cannot be party to war crimes. The Prime Minister Netanyahu should not be permitted to demand that his actions not be subject to scrutiny and oversight by the US.

Israel and Hamas Fighting Raises Questions about War Crimes - The New ...

NYT PHOTO

As per the November 5, 2023 Washington Post report, “As Gaza death toll soars, secrecy shrouds Israel’s targeting process” by Louisa Loveluck, Susannah George and Michael Birnbaum:

“Since the conflict began, nearly 10,000 Palestinians have already been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, as the IDF presses for the destruction of the Hamas militant group that rules the enclave. Although Israeli officials insist that each strike is subject to legal approval, experts say the rules of engagement, which are classified, appear to include a higher threshold for civilian casualties than in previous rounds of fighting.”

“There was always a conscious effort to limit the amount of civilian casualties in the few occasions that we have struck in areas where we knew that there would be civilian casualties,” said Jonathan Conricus, the international spokesman for the IDF. He would not comment on whether Israel has changed its rules of engagement and accused Hamas of inflating the death toll.”

“Another U.S. administration official told The Post the Israeli calculus about acceptable levels of civilian casualties was clearly different from that of the United States, but insisted there was a robust process in place to assess each strike. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk about sensitive conversations.”

“U.S. interlocutors who are professionals on this issue of deconfliction and conduct of campaigns have had these discussions” with their Israeli counterparts, the senior State Department official said.

“The US provides the Israeli army with military and intelligence support and is therefore required by the Geneva Conventions to ensure that bombing raids in Gaza do not breach international law.”

FILE - Photographs of over one thousand persons killed, missing or abducted in the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 are displayed on empty seats in an exhibit held under the motto "UNITED AGAINST TERRORISM" in the Smolarz Auditorium at Tel Aviv University on Oct. 22, 2023, in Tel Aviv. More than two weeks after Hamas' attack, many Israelis are furious at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, not just for failing to prevent the initial attack, but for failing to come to their aid afterward. While the military is bombing Gaza and preparing a possible invasion, Israeli government infighting and the erosion of the civil service have left traumatized survivors to mourn on their own. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)
Photographs of over one thousand persons killed, missing or abducted in the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 are displayed on empty seats in an exhibit held under the motto “UNITED AGAINST TERRORISM” in the Smolarz Auditorium at Tel Aviv University on Oct. 22, 2023, in Tel Aviv. More than two weeks after Hamas’ attack, many Israelis are furious at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, not just for failing to prevent the initial attack, but for failing to come to their aid afterward. While the military is bombing Gaza and preparing a possible invasion, Israeli government infighting and the erosion of the civil service have left traumatized survivors to mourn on their own. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)

World leaders should also continue to pressure Israel to focus on the return of all hostages held in Gaza. I’m worried that Israel will prioritize the destruction of HAMAS in Gaza at the expense of planning for the successful release/ rescue of all hostages being held in Gaza.

The Israeli citizens need to be letting the Prime Minister know that he cannot claim success by dismantling HAMAS without the return/ release/ rescue of all hostages.
***
On December 2, 2023, the UK government announced its support of the Israelis in the rescue of hostages by conducting surveillance flights over the eastern Mediterranean, including operating in airspace over Israel and Gaza.  “In a statement the UK government said, “Surveillance aircraft will be unarmed, do not have a combat role, and will be tasked solely to locate hostages. Only information relating to hostage rescue will be passed to the relevant authorities responsible for hostage rescue.”
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen as he arrives for a court hearing at the District Court in Jerusalem on February 8, 2021, PM Netanyahu is on trial on criminal allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. (credit: REUVEN KASTRO/POOL)
PM Netanyahu is on trial on criminal allegations of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. (credit: REUVEN KASTRO/POOL)
In short, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shouldn’t be granted a get out of jail card by not having to answer some hard questions from the international community because of Israel’s war against HAMAS when so far, not even the Israeli judicial system is allowing the Israeli Prime Minister to use the war excuse to avoid trial for corruption charges against him, despite his protestations.
***
Ariella Marsden writes for a December 3, 2023 Jerusalem Post article, that “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial is to resume on (December 5, 2023) after a hiatus of more than two months.”

“The trial was scheduled to continue through October, but was stalled after October 7, when Israel’s courts were working on an emergency basis following the attack by Hamas against the Israeli southern communities opposite Gaza. As the courts returned regular activity in December, Netanyahu’s trial continues despite the war.”

10 comments

  2. Thanks Gronda. Well said. Opportunities to attempt to find a solution to this conflict have been missed for some time. Netanyahu has hurt the reputation of his country through his alleged fraud and failure to address these issues. What pains me about Hamas’ terroristic actions and Israel’s strong retaliations are common civilians get hurt. I often feel there are some strident folks who prefer conflict than peace. Keith

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Keith,

      It’s great to hear from you.

      I’m afraid that compassion and humanity is sorely lacking regarding for both sides by a lot of folks. HAMAS is a terrorist group that has been entrenched in GAZA since 2007 and it’s like the MAFIA. Residents who aren’t cooperative end up missing, etc. Hamas cannot be allowed to continue in power.

      But guess who had a history for propping up HAMAS in Gaza while cutting of the legs of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank? The answer is the Israeli PM Netanyahu. I feel sorry for all the Israeli victims grievously harmed by the Oct 7 massacre by HAMAS as I truly believe that this was preventable.

      I can’t figure out how Hamas had detailed data for how to attack over 60 targets, as much of this information wasn’t publicly knowledge. It bothers me that this high level of intelligence in the hands of HAMAS which was so specific in a 40-page detailed report that was in the possession of Israeli intelligence for over a year prior to the OCT 7 massacre, hadn’t been sufficiently worrisome enough to raise multiple red flags.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Like

  3. Dear Gronda, how difficult it is for (the world) to speak out when Israel commits crimes, notwithstanding the atrocious Hamas attack which I condemn fully. How it played into the hands of equally zealous politics in Israel, how it erased any possibility of going back to the 1967 border issue with dialogue, and provides the zealots with reason to intellectually and spiritually deny further discourse on a two state solution. My heart goes out to the innocent on both sides who are in the middle of this great game. gary j

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Gary J,

      Thanks for commenting.

      I ditto your feelings, but my anger is not just against Israeli’s Prime Minister and his extreme right-wing cohorts but against our current Democratic US President Biden for not reversing the US ex-president’s change in policy regarding the legality of Israeli folks confiscating even at gun point, homes that belong to Palestinians in the West Bank. Since 1978 the US had defined this type of activity as not being legal. The West in general has been lazy in not calling Mr. Netanyahu to task for not holding Israeli settlers accountable for aggressive tactics used in evicting Palestinians by force from their family homes.

      I still can’t figure out how Hamas had detailed data for how to attack over 60 target points, as much of this information wasn’t publicly known. That level of intelligence in the hands of HAMAS which was so specific in a detailed report in the possession of Israeli intelligence for over a year prior to the OCT 7 massacre should have been enough to raise multiple red flags. And that’s why I don’t believe anything PM Netanyahu says.

      This whole situation doesn’t pass my smell test.

      Hugs, Gronda

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear David,

      Welcome and thank you for taking time to read my post.

      I’m afraid that no one has cleans hands when it comes to what’s happening with the current Israel-Hamas war. Hamas is a terrorist group in Gaza that did brutally attack Israelis on October 7.

      Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu did have a history of deliberately propping up Hamas in Gaza in order to weaken the Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank.

      Also, western leaders have avoided confronting the prime minister at an earlier time regarding many of his counter-productive actions like his attempt to overhaul Israel’s judiciary system; his allowing Israeli settlers in the West Bank to confiscate by force, homes owned by Palestinians, etc.

      For those of us who’re pro-Israel as the premier democracy in the Middle East, what’s happening is disheartening.

      Thanks again, Gronda

      Like

Comments are closed.