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Source: https://www.jns.org/how-did-the-hostage-talks-get-so-crazy/
As It Always Does with the Palestinians, the U.S. Is Focusing All Its Pressure on Israel
(JNS) Mitchell Bard - All we hear from the U.S. administration is that there must be a ceasefire in Gaza; Israeli soldiers' lives are not as valuable as Palestinians, so they should risk them to ensure that civilians aren't harmed. Remember when White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby talked about the war in Ukraine and said, "It's their war. They get to decide what victory looks like. They get to decide what plans they execute. They get to decide what targets they hit. They get to decide where they put their troops on the battlefront." The administration's attitude towards Israel has been precisely the opposite. As it always does with the Palestinians, the U.S. is focusing all its pressure on Israel. The Palestinians are never expected to make concessions and never given ultimatums; it is only the Israelis who must show flexibility and sacrifice their security. Of course, it never works because the Palestinians believe that time is on their side. Hamas set up civilians to die, knowing the Americans would turn on Israel. Their long-term hope is that the U.S. will force Israel out of "Palestine." According to the terms of the negotiations. Israel is supposed to stop fighting for six weeks, withdraw from parts of Gaza, and allow terrorists to re-infiltrate the areas they leave. Will Israel get all its hostages back? No. Israel is hoping to get 30 hostages back in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. In phase two, all the remaining hostages are to be released in exchange for still more prisoners. Does anyone believe Sinwar is going to let everyone go free? No one can blame the families of the hostages for wanting the prime minister to do whatever it takes to get their loved ones home. However, concessions will only encourage more hostage-taking. How will the families of those future captives feel? The U.S. should recognize Israel's need to maintain security in Gaza for the foreseeable future. We should make clear that not a dime will be spent on reconstruction until the hostages are free and Hamas is repudiated. The writer is Executive Director of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise (AICE).