Israel now controls at least a quarter of Gaza and is working to move “settlers” into the region, according to Haaretz. By settlers, they mean permanent residents that will take over that region.
Hamas has demanded that Israel leave Gaza in peace negotiations, but it is clear that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no intention of doing that. Nor does he intend to end military presence in Gaza.
A senior official says that Netanyahu is trying to “ensure a deal isn’t reached before his address to the US Congress in Washington later this month.” Why would he do this? To drum up continued support of the Israeli government? It’s not a sure thing as politicians are divided over support for Israel, more so than support for Ukraine. And will Americans want to keep opening their wallets after their $230 million Gaza pier investment went bust?
Meanwhile, Israel will now begin drafting Orthodox Jews into the IDF. Orthodox Judaism is staunchly antiwar but the IDF apparently doesn’t care. This is a chilling precedent for what is supposedly a democratic state in the Middle East. It means that even if you don’t believe in war, you must go to war. Is this religious freedom?
