The reality is the Prime Minister, Netanyahu is a power seeking criminal and must be removed. He seems to have no willingness to end this war and those supporting him are totally misguided and misinformed.
If what I'm reading is accurate, it was bee bee, not the Hamas who sabotaged the negotions over and over again. Once Hamas says yes, bee bee continued to raise the bar by asking for more and more, with no interest in ending this most recent 11 month campaign. Hamas agreed to the return of the hostages but insisted on a permanent ceasefire, and that the Israelis leave Gaza. No an acceptable end for bee bee, he is fighting to stay out of jail, so this cow boy went in with guns blazing displacing and bombing. Guess he wanted to look tough, win his people over.
It was so painful to see Harris repeating the lie about "rape" when the Israeli hostages were taken. That has been DISPROVEN by several news organizations including the NYT and Harper's from Andrew Cockburn.
So true, I was 'surprised,'.. so much propoganda has been pushed by the Israeli's and their supporters, the 40 beheaded babies was among the worst and that was proven to be false. Still waiting for evidence of any s. assaults... But for her to make this part of her speech did not go over well with me. It was as if she used it to justify her support of Israels behavior and doubling down on the freedom fighters. If anyone noticed, the hostages male and females released, have not made claims of physical, or sexual abuse. If they did I did not see any report on this.
I agree it was painful to hear her repeat the lie. But NYT was the first US news organization that pretended the rapes was true. They ran an article,"How Hamas Weaponized Sexual Violence on Oct. 7" It's still up they haven't taken it down.
I’m not a scholar on Israel, and Palestine, but from what I’ve read I blame Netanyahu along with Hamas for October 7, 2023! Netanyahu FUNDED Hamas; he knew what he was doing. He needs to stay in power to stay out of court/prison. Netanyahu is responsible for this genocide of Palestinians!!! He’s responsible for ALL the deaths of the hostages!!! He’s a very evil person! My heart breaks for these 6 innocent people as well as ALL the innocent Palestinians that Netanyahu has murdered! I’m extremely mad, and very sad!!
Your article again was right on. I voted for Biden and I think he is an honorable man but his insistence to keep sending arms to that character in Israel is beyond my comprehension. There are 2 wrongs here - first of course, is Hamas and that horrible carnage they did; but the second one is Israel destroying Gaza. In my opinion it seems that character wants to totally annihilate the entire Palestinian population in Gaza. And let's not forget he was advised prior to 7 Oct 2023 that Hamas was up to something and he declined to believe it. That piece of information keeps getting lost in the media. Beyond the pale.
Ms Ferioli, please consider that the first wrong did not occur on October 7. As you rightly remind, it was known in advance that Hamas "was up to something," and there's every reason to assume they were up to something for a reason. The Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have essentially always been mistreated by the Israelis, in a variety of ways, and that fact is the first wrong. October 7 was retaliatory.
I think Biden is honorable enough in a collection of ways, but not when it comes to giving Netanyahu the keys to the castle, no questions asked.
The death of the most recent hostages is heartbreaking and no matter who did it, it’s clear Netanyahu has no incentive to do anything different from what he’s done so far. We all have to hope we can pressure Biden to stop arming him and that Israeli citizens can pressure him to leave office. Do we know anything about who would succeed him?
BIden is on his way out and has nothing to lose. Why not do the right thing! He should not care what other think it is now time to step up and speak out for justice. No more weapons!
What sad news and what a mess. While I really appreciate your article, I have a few bones to pick. The headline, to begin with. “6 More Hostages Killed” … by whom? I think it is clear by now that Hamas has treated the hostages like guests, compared to the IDF, who tortures & murders theirs. Israel will never admit to killing these hostages along with thousands of innocent Palestinians, just as they will never admit to their many war crimes. They “investigate” themselves.
Second bone: Joe Biden, and Anthony Blinken share as much blame as Netanyahu. This administration has shamefully enabled, armed and even glorified this genocide. And now Kamala Harris does, as well. Once again, I find myself ashamed to be an American.
Point 1 - I think you nailed the problem well. Netanyahu refuses to allow any media to independently report so we have no idea about the on the ground reality, or the extent of war crimes being committed. I want to be accurate in my statements and that was the best I could state given current information.
Point 2 - I've long called out this administration for violating the Leahy Laws. It's unacceptable and indefensible.
I have contacted my representatives, the administration to stop aid to Israel. We have a problem here in the West that our entire country has been propagandized and indoctrinated to believe the Israeli and colonialist narratives. Additionally, as more Americans, particularly young people are educating themselves, they are refusing to vote Democratic. I absolutely understand this, as I was once a young person who believed that by voting 3rd party, change was possible only to have my hopes dashed repeatedly. This doesn’t mean we give up! The only way I see a way forward is by defeating Trump and then pressuring the Harris administration relentlessly to stop aid to Israel. We need more Palestinians to be heard. Not having any Palestinian Americans speaking at the DNC was awful. All I can do is take every opportunity, and I do, to get people to start understanding that this isn’t a problem that started Oct7th! Once the people pressure our government in too many numbers to be ignored, we can effect change.
Right now, it is critical to vote Democratic... Project 2025 will happen if Harris does not win this election. We need to prevent that now, and then deal with the Israeli situation.
I wish there was an immediate way to stop this genocide, but there is not. Our governments are not going to do it. They must be forced and putting Trump in charge means no chance at all!
Yes, Netanyahu is corrupt and an awful leader apparently focused only ways to maintain his own power. And Netanyahu may have been able to secure the release of the hostages. But surely you are wrong to say "the only one". Could not Hamas simply release them? It was one of their horrific crimes to capture them in the first place. Any one of the many people holding the remaining hostages could release them. What are their responsibilities in this?
From Hamas' POV, Israel offered a peace deal and Hamas accepted, and then Israel retracted its own deal. Even now Netanyahu is invading the West Bank, clearly Palestinian land and with no Hamas. Hamas is not a religious organization. Never were. They're a reaction to land grab, and as I've been clear since day one, committed war crimes in killing Israeli civilians. But to your question, from Hamas POV, if they release the hostages, what incentive does Netanyahu have to leave Gaza alone, leave the West Bank alone, and stop killing Palestinian civilians?
You also said, "It was one of their horrific crimes to capture them in the first place." Yes this is a war crime, and also it wasn't "in the first place." In the year prior to 10/7, Netanyahu killed 250 Palestinians in the West Bank, took nearly 800 Palestinian children hostage, and took nearly 8000 Palestinian civilians hostage without due process, charge, or trial, and built more than 12,000 homes on Palestinian land. 10/7 was not an instigation, it was a continuation. And peace will come through diplomacy, not more war.
The "good" news, as you describe it in this post, is that Israelis might be getting enough of Netanyahu, and get rid of him, and Harris might either not be called upon to continue to supply them, or she might reveal she's no longer willing. Although as you say, this is really about two people in the world: Netanyahu and Biden.
Netanyahu needs to step down. He is making the situation worse & he has been doing it far too long. He has been oppressing the Palestinians until they did something drastic. Netanyahu has forgotten important parts of Jewish history. He has been treating the Palestinians they way dictators had treated the Jewish people in the past from the Spanish Inquisition, to the Russians Czars, to Hitler.
Netanyahu has stayed too long, but the Israeli government works a little differently from ours. It is more like the Government in the UK. I think Netanyahu requires a vote of no confidence.
Qasim, Netanyahu is not interested in peace, and he doesn't care about the hostages. As you pointed out, a ceasefire at the end of November got half the hostages returned. If Netanyahu was interested in hostages, he would have extended the ceasefire.
He just wants all the Palestinians dead, so he can take their land, "from the River to the Sea." And he wants to distract Israelis, to keep his ass out of the slammer.
I'm always fascinated by the people who claim "from the River to the Sea" is a genocidal statement have no idea it's also part of the Likud official charter.
Thanks, Rachel. I'm hopeful people are starting to see what so many have known all along. Netanyahu is a bad faith actor and no peace will come with him calling the shots.
I think this could be the turning point at which the Israeli people themselves bring down Netanyahu. At least I hope so, because that is probably the best way to keep this war from getting further out of hand, stop the killing in Gaza & now the West Bank, release the hostages & bring this war to an end. But Biden should immediately stop all aid to Israel, which may facilitate this result.
Months ago I wrote to Biden with close to that phrase about Netanyahu, that he was not to be trusted, that Biden needed to place conditions on sending weapons. I suggest that all of on this thread do this... write to President Biden pointing out that Netanyahu has not been a good faith partner with the US in this war, and that Biden needs to get tough, to condition any further arms to Israel.
As if it could be any worse, Netanyahu is also is baiting Iran and Hezbollah to expand the war... as I see it, he wants to get the US to get involved in "defending him" in war with Hezbollah and Iran. The killing of Hamas chief negotiator was not necessary, but retaliation for this is not over. An expanded Mid-east war is in Netanyahu's perverted interest, as it could go on for years keeping him out of court for his crimes. It would be a disaster for the Mid-east and the US.
Biden is just as tone deaf as Netanyahu. For reasons of his own he keeps choosing Netanyahu over the American people. Protest and he has you arrested. What do you think he will do with letters you write? He and Netanyahu are just dragging this war out until a cease fire becomes moot. There won't be enough Gaza people left alive to matter. Delay, delay, delay. Did they learn that from Trump?
Write to Biden and Harris... its easy! Google write to the President and you will get a White House online form that allows you some 2000 words to do so.
The reality is the Prime Minister, Netanyahu is a power seeking criminal and must be removed. He seems to have no willingness to end this war and those supporting him are totally misguided and misinformed.
If what I'm reading is accurate, it was bee bee, not the Hamas who sabotaged the negotions over and over again. Once Hamas says yes, bee bee continued to raise the bar by asking for more and more, with no interest in ending this most recent 11 month campaign. Hamas agreed to the return of the hostages but insisted on a permanent ceasefire, and that the Israelis leave Gaza. No an acceptable end for bee bee, he is fighting to stay out of jail, so this cow boy went in with guns blazing displacing and bombing. Guess he wanted to look tough, win his people over.
Netanyahu didn’t abandon them. He never intended for them to come back alive, as evidenced by the sheer thoroughness of the bombing.
And let’s not forget about the order to carry out the Hannibal Directive on October 7th.
Israel says Hamas killed these hostages, while more than likely the hostages died when an Israeli bomb collapsed a tunnel.
It was so painful to see Harris repeating the lie about "rape" when the Israeli hostages were taken. That has been DISPROVEN by several news organizations including the NYT and Harper's from Andrew Cockburn.
So true, I was 'surprised,'.. so much propoganda has been pushed by the Israeli's and their supporters, the 40 beheaded babies was among the worst and that was proven to be false. Still waiting for evidence of any s. assaults... But for her to make this part of her speech did not go over well with me. It was as if she used it to justify her support of Israels behavior and doubling down on the freedom fighters. If anyone noticed, the hostages male and females released, have not made claims of physical, or sexual abuse. If they did I did not see any report on this.
I agree it was painful to hear her repeat the lie. But NYT was the first US news organization that pretended the rapes was true. They ran an article,"How Hamas Weaponized Sexual Violence on Oct. 7" It's still up they haven't taken it down.
Really? I thought they had admitted to that falsification. Totally disgusting.
I’m not a scholar on Israel, and Palestine, but from what I’ve read I blame Netanyahu along with Hamas for October 7, 2023! Netanyahu FUNDED Hamas; he knew what he was doing. He needs to stay in power to stay out of court/prison. Netanyahu is responsible for this genocide of Palestinians!!! He’s responsible for ALL the deaths of the hostages!!! He’s a very evil person! My heart breaks for these 6 innocent people as well as ALL the innocent Palestinians that Netanyahu has murdered! I’m extremely mad, and very sad!!
Look in Harper's Magazine, March, 2024, Andrew Cockburn: The Pentagon's Silicon Valley Problem. Incredible article.
Well said. People often like to say "I don't have an opinion because it's complex." It's not complex. You've articulated it well.
Thank you Qasim!! I truly appreciate your opinion!
Your article again was right on. I voted for Biden and I think he is an honorable man but his insistence to keep sending arms to that character in Israel is beyond my comprehension. There are 2 wrongs here - first of course, is Hamas and that horrible carnage they did; but the second one is Israel destroying Gaza. In my opinion it seems that character wants to totally annihilate the entire Palestinian population in Gaza. And let's not forget he was advised prior to 7 Oct 2023 that Hamas was up to something and he declined to believe it. That piece of information keeps getting lost in the media. Beyond the pale.
Gayle Ferioli
Ms Ferioli, please consider that the first wrong did not occur on October 7. As you rightly remind, it was known in advance that Hamas "was up to something," and there's every reason to assume they were up to something for a reason. The Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have essentially always been mistreated by the Israelis, in a variety of ways, and that fact is the first wrong. October 7 was retaliatory.
I think Biden is honorable enough in a collection of ways, but not when it comes to giving Netanyahu the keys to the castle, no questions asked.
The death of the most recent hostages is heartbreaking and no matter who did it, it’s clear Netanyahu has no incentive to do anything different from what he’s done so far. We all have to hope we can pressure Biden to stop arming him and that Israeli citizens can pressure him to leave office. Do we know anything about who would succeed him?
BIden is on his way out and has nothing to lose. Why not do the right thing! He should not care what other think it is now time to step up and speak out for justice. No more weapons!
It's a coalition government so it would need to go through the full process.
What sad news and what a mess. While I really appreciate your article, I have a few bones to pick. The headline, to begin with. “6 More Hostages Killed” … by whom? I think it is clear by now that Hamas has treated the hostages like guests, compared to the IDF, who tortures & murders theirs. Israel will never admit to killing these hostages along with thousands of innocent Palestinians, just as they will never admit to their many war crimes. They “investigate” themselves.
Second bone: Joe Biden, and Anthony Blinken share as much blame as Netanyahu. This administration has shamefully enabled, armed and even glorified this genocide. And now Kamala Harris does, as well. Once again, I find myself ashamed to be an American.
Fran -
Point 1 - I think you nailed the problem well. Netanyahu refuses to allow any media to independently report so we have no idea about the on the ground reality, or the extent of war crimes being committed. I want to be accurate in my statements and that was the best I could state given current information.
Point 2 - I've long called out this administration for violating the Leahy Laws. It's unacceptable and indefensible.
I have contacted my representatives, the administration to stop aid to Israel. We have a problem here in the West that our entire country has been propagandized and indoctrinated to believe the Israeli and colonialist narratives. Additionally, as more Americans, particularly young people are educating themselves, they are refusing to vote Democratic. I absolutely understand this, as I was once a young person who believed that by voting 3rd party, change was possible only to have my hopes dashed repeatedly. This doesn’t mean we give up! The only way I see a way forward is by defeating Trump and then pressuring the Harris administration relentlessly to stop aid to Israel. We need more Palestinians to be heard. Not having any Palestinian Americans speaking at the DNC was awful. All I can do is take every opportunity, and I do, to get people to start understanding that this isn’t a problem that started Oct7th! Once the people pressure our government in too many numbers to be ignored, we can effect change.
Right now, it is critical to vote Democratic... Project 2025 will happen if Harris does not win this election. We need to prevent that now, and then deal with the Israeli situation.
I wish there was an immediate way to stop this genocide, but there is not. Our governments are not going to do it. They must be forced and putting Trump in charge means no chance at all!
Whatever it takes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Netanyahu doesn't care, he just does not want to face his Crimes in Court ???
Yes, Netanyahu is corrupt and an awful leader apparently focused only ways to maintain his own power. And Netanyahu may have been able to secure the release of the hostages. But surely you are wrong to say "the only one". Could not Hamas simply release them? It was one of their horrific crimes to capture them in the first place. Any one of the many people holding the remaining hostages could release them. What are their responsibilities in this?
From Hamas' POV, Israel offered a peace deal and Hamas accepted, and then Israel retracted its own deal. Even now Netanyahu is invading the West Bank, clearly Palestinian land and with no Hamas. Hamas is not a religious organization. Never were. They're a reaction to land grab, and as I've been clear since day one, committed war crimes in killing Israeli civilians. But to your question, from Hamas POV, if they release the hostages, what incentive does Netanyahu have to leave Gaza alone, leave the West Bank alone, and stop killing Palestinian civilians?
You also said, "It was one of their horrific crimes to capture them in the first place." Yes this is a war crime, and also it wasn't "in the first place." In the year prior to 10/7, Netanyahu killed 250 Palestinians in the West Bank, took nearly 800 Palestinian children hostage, and took nearly 8000 Palestinian civilians hostage without due process, charge, or trial, and built more than 12,000 homes on Palestinian land. 10/7 was not an instigation, it was a continuation. And peace will come through diplomacy, not more war.
The "good" news, as you describe it in this post, is that Israelis might be getting enough of Netanyahu, and get rid of him, and Harris might either not be called upon to continue to supply them, or she might reveal she's no longer willing. Although as you say, this is really about two people in the world: Netanyahu and Biden.
Netanyahu needs to step down. He is making the situation worse & he has been doing it far too long. He has been oppressing the Palestinians until they did something drastic. Netanyahu has forgotten important parts of Jewish history. He has been treating the Palestinians they way dictators had treated the Jewish people in the past from the Spanish Inquisition, to the Russians Czars, to Hitler.
Right now there are mass protests happening in Israel. I'm hopeful Biden listens, because we know Netanyahu won't.
Netanyahu has stayed too long, but the Israeli government works a little differently from ours. It is more like the Government in the UK. I think Netanyahu requires a vote of no confidence.
Qasim, Netanyahu is not interested in peace, and he doesn't care about the hostages. As you pointed out, a ceasefire at the end of November got half the hostages returned. If Netanyahu was interested in hostages, he would have extended the ceasefire.
He just wants all the Palestinians dead, so he can take their land, "from the River to the Sea." And he wants to distract Israelis, to keep his ass out of the slammer.
I'm always fascinated by the people who claim "from the River to the Sea" is a genocidal statement have no idea it's also part of the Likud official charter.
If they had a sense of humor, they would have made their slogan "give us an inch, we'll take a mile."
I think that was a Mel Brooks line...
Brilliantly cohesive. Thank you for pulling together this explanation with such clarity.
Thanks, Rachel. I'm hopeful people are starting to see what so many have known all along. Netanyahu is a bad faith actor and no peace will come with him calling the shots.
I think this could be the turning point at which the Israeli people themselves bring down Netanyahu. At least I hope so, because that is probably the best way to keep this war from getting further out of hand, stop the killing in Gaza & now the West Bank, release the hostages & bring this war to an end. But Biden should immediately stop all aid to Israel, which may facilitate this result.
Months ago I wrote to Biden with close to that phrase about Netanyahu, that he was not to be trusted, that Biden needed to place conditions on sending weapons. I suggest that all of on this thread do this... write to President Biden pointing out that Netanyahu has not been a good faith partner with the US in this war, and that Biden needs to get tough, to condition any further arms to Israel.
As if it could be any worse, Netanyahu is also is baiting Iran and Hezbollah to expand the war... as I see it, he wants to get the US to get involved in "defending him" in war with Hezbollah and Iran. The killing of Hamas chief negotiator was not necessary, but retaliation for this is not over. An expanded Mid-east war is in Netanyahu's perverted interest, as it could go on for years keeping him out of court for his crimes. It would be a disaster for the Mid-east and the US.
Biden is just as tone deaf as Netanyahu. For reasons of his own he keeps choosing Netanyahu over the American people. Protest and he has you arrested. What do you think he will do with letters you write? He and Netanyahu are just dragging this war out until a cease fire becomes moot. There won't be enough Gaza people left alive to matter. Delay, delay, delay. Did they learn that from Trump?
Write to Biden and Harris... its easy! Google write to the President and you will get a White House online form that allows you some 2000 words to do so.