Hamas is more willing than Israel to negotiate a ceasefire. Antony Blinken knows that, but he’s running cover for Israel. From David Hearst at middleeasteye.net:
Hamas is willing to commit to the ‘full and complete ceasefire’ touted by Biden – but Washington continues to throw its full support behind an intransigent Tel Aviv
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to the media in Dubai, on 1 December, 2023 (Saul Loeb/AFP)
t takes a lot to get the diplomats of the Middle East to agree on anything. The behaviour of one man over the last eight months of the war in Gaza has, however, forged a consensus rare among such a group: Antony Blinken cannot be trusted.
The US secretary of state’s powers of turning reality on its head have raised the eyebrows of even practised cynics. It is a complaint that resounds from Doha to Amman, Cairo, Tel Aviv and Ankara.
Blinken is currently engaged in what one of his predecessors, James Baker, called “dead cat diplomacy”. Baker’s pupil, Aaron David Miller, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “The objective is not to reach a deal but to ensure if it fails, the dead cat is on other’s doorstep.”
The dead, or dying, cat of the moment is a ceasefire deal in Gaza that holds.
Indisputably, Hamas is closer to accepting this deal than Israel is. The evidence for this is mounting. Hamas signed a ceasefire deal presented by Egypt and Qatar, under the gaze of CIA Director Bill Burns, which would have ensured a permanent halt to the war.
When Israel and the US walked away from it, Hamas welcomed the principles declared in President Joe Biden’s speech, in which he urged Israel to accept a “full and complete ceasefire”. It had the same reaction to the US-sponsored UN resolution.
Those principles are clear: that a permanent ceasefire should exist after an initial exchange of hostages; that there should be a full withdrawal of Israeli troops; that the people of Gaza should be free to return to their homes; that there should be no change in the territory or demography of Gaza; and that its people should have full access to humanitarian aid, alongside reconstruction efforts.
They won’t even get Brandon and his (historic!) lazers a foreign policy genius victory?
Sad trombone, always so sad.
A bunch of money was raised by the CPUSA (D) the other day as their holy trinity of Lazer Brandon, Bathhouse Barry (Teh Messiah!) and Slick Willie, felt the pain of the working man at the $25,000-50,000 a plate shindig.
They could use this money to shoot down the TrumPutinHitler orbital inflation lazers before Gnutella costs $40 a jar?
I wonder does comrade kommissar Blinken have an incomplete hat? (rhetorical)
Could they please just stop with the kill em’ all make Gaza a Dresden redux!
The bad optics have descended into the macabre and the Palestinians aren’t some untermenschen to be done away with in order to grab their land and resources.
Breaking from Christopher Cross:
The Best That You Can Do (Theme from Arthur)
NYC?! Oh hell NO!