Yesterday, Sarah mentioned outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken's comments about the Israel-Hamas war, congratulating himself for pressuring the Israelis into allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza during the early days of the terrorist-started conflict. In the same interview, he did admit who the real culprit is in prolonging the war is. It was shared fairly widely on social media, with some journalists and observers treating is as a revelation or significant admission. While the Biden administration's record on Israel has been frustratingly mixed since the October 7th massacre, and while it's good that Blinken is telling the truth here, these are simply obviously accurate and undeniable observations that do not require any special expertise or insider knowledge to have gleaned. I'm not going to criticize Blinken for this part of his analysis, but I'm not sure how much credit he deserves for merely stating what is manifestly true:
Antony Blinken, who is neither a supporter of Netanyahu nor particularly sympathetic to the Israeli government, revealed to the NYT that Hamas is the main reason a ceasefire has yet to be reached.
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) January 4, 2025
You can disagree with the Israeli government’s conduct, but the fact remains:… pic.twitter.com/mTrk5zjDYr
The impediment to peace has been Hamas. Of course it has. Hamas started the war by slaughtering 1,200 innocent people in cold blood -- raping and pillaging as they rampaged through southern Israel, and kidnapping hundreds of hostages. They have refused to release the hostages they haven't murdered for more than a year. They have refused to disarm. They have used civilians and civilian infrastructure (like schools and hospitals) as shields for their terrorism. None of this is shocking or unusual for Hamas, unfortunately. This evil is par for the course with them. Some anti-Israel fanatics try to blame the Israeli government for not agreeing to slanted ceasefire deals at various points (Blinken rejects that criticism of Netanyahu, by the way). This is insane. Hamas ignited the war in an orgy of intentional civilian bloodshed and have declined every opportunity to bring it to a close. They delight in death, including Palestinian death, which they cynically exploit for propaganda. They are evil. Of course they are the problem.
As for Blinken's specific notes, if "daylight" between Israel and its allies was one of the driving forces that emboldened Hamas to reject prospective ceasefires, it's even more scandalous that the Biden administration created such daylight, on multiple occasions. And part of the reason Hamas may finally be willing to make a deal soon is related to the second point. If Hamas was hoping other actors would join the conflict and take pressure off of their operations in Gaza, that dream has crashed. Their own top leadership has been crushed, as has Hezbollah. Iran's regime has suffered devastating setbacks, including consecutive failed attack attempts directly against Israel. The evil cavalry isn't coming. But the Trump administration is. Goodbye, daylight, especially given Trump's repeated threats. Perhaps, at long last, Hamas will be forced into an agreement:
Breaking: Hamas says they approved a list of 34 hostages to be released in a hostage deal (via Reuters).
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) January 5, 2025
Hamas has until now insisted that a ceasefire must come before a list could be made. pic.twitter.com/OtdgqhrRe4
And while Blinken's marveling over the widespread international obsession over Israel -- absent virtually any criticism of Hamas -- is undoubtedly welcome, how can he possibly be surprised by any of it at this point?
I mean — the Secretary of State is pretending (???) not to know why there has not been universal condemnation of Hamas, when it’s obvious: many countries support terrorism & despise Israel and/or support Hamas in order to undermine Israel, the U.S., & the West. It’s basic stuff… https://t.co/YWGbuuZumT
— Jerry Dunleavy IV 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) January 4, 2025
It's also striking how dishonest the Hamas apologists and supporters have no choice but to be, given the demented nature of their warped position. This Gaza man claims to have no connections to Hamas, but says he's filled with regret that he didn't take part in the killing of Jews, blaming the victims for the war his friends started. Not only is he bloodthirsty, he's also a liar, naturally:
FYI he is also lying about his family not having ties to terrorists. A 2-second search shows he would previously brag about his uncles being martyrs... pic.twitter.com/KFoZ9wZmZ3
— AG (@AGHamilton29) January 4, 2025
He's welcome to take up arms for a depleted Hamas, and maybe he'll get what he deserves from the Jews he despises. Meanwhille, here's what Blinken's likely successor was up to at the de facto White House over the weekend:
🚨 SEE IT: Trump brought incoming Secretary of State Marco Rubio with him as he hosted Italian PM Giorgia Meloni at Mar-a-Lago tonight
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 5, 2025
pic.twitter.com/iGNPmiXeEJ
I'll leave you with this, somewhat relatedly, in the wake of the deadly jihadist terror attack in New Orleans:
On the threats we face — the ones that are accentuated vs ignored by those currently in power: pic.twitter.com/piAHCFjn5G
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) January 5, 2025
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