Biden admits Israel’s defeat in Gaza
<https://electronicintifada.net/people/ali-abunimah> Ali Abunimah �
<https://electronicintifada.net/blog/power-suits> Power Suits �31 May 2024
In remarks delivered at the White House on Friday, US President Joe Biden laid
out what he called a “roadmap” to bring an end to the Israeli war on Gaza.
Biden summarized what he said was a new Israeli proposal for a three-phase
process to exchange Israeli and Palestinian prisoners of war and captives and
bring about a “durable end to this war.”
In its broad outlines, the proposal is very similar to an American-backed �
<https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/6/text-of-the-ceasefire-proposal-approved-by-hamas>
proposal �that Hamas accepted in early May �
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/05/06/israel-rafah-gaza-ceasefire-hamas/>
after Israel had approved it.
But Israel then reneged on the deal and �
<https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/maureen-clare-murphy/hamas-agrees-gaza-truce-israel-vows-move-rafah>
escalated its attack on Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city and where the majority
of the territory’s population of 2.3 million Palestinians had fled after being
forcibly displaced from other areas.
If Biden is telling the truth that this is indeed an Israeli proposal, it would
appear Tel Aviv is crawling back less than a month later and trying to make it
look as if this is its own magnanimous offer, instead of what it really appears
to be: a public admission by Israel, communicated to the world by the American
president, that it has lost the war militarily.
In what is probably the most important takeaway, Biden stated: “Indefinite war
in pursuit of an unidentified notion of total victory … will only bog down
Israel in Gaza, drain the economic, military and human and human resources and
further Israel’s isolation in the world.”
“That will not bring hostages home,” the US president added. “That will not,
not bring an enduring defeat of Hamas, that will not bring Israel lasting
security.”
It is certain that the US has been telling Israel this privately. But for the
president to come out and say it from the White House podium completely
undercuts Israel’s public assertions that military victory is within reach.
But there are real reasons for skepticism. Biden pointedly did not mention that
this proposal came from or was approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu.
Biden even acknowledged that “there are those in Israel who will not agree with
this plan, and will call for the war to continue indefinitely. Some, some are
even in the government coalition.”
One of those may even be Netanyahu. Given Israel’s deeply divided leadership,
Biden may well be working with Israeli officials other than Netanyahu in an
effort to pressure the prime minister into accepting this deal.
The following is a rush transcript of Biden’s remarks related to Gaza, with my
comments on some key points in between the lines in �bold italics.
Annotated transcript of President Biden’s proposal:
For the past several months, my negotiators of foreign policy, intelligence
community and the like, have been relentlessly focused not just on a ceasefire,
that would inevitably be fragile and temporary, but on a durable end of the
war, that’s been the focus, a durable end of this war. One that brings all the
hostages home, ensures Israel’s security, creates a better day after in Gaza
without Hamas in power and sets the stage for political settlement that
provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Biden officials have publicly avoided talking about a ceasefire or an end to
the war that fell short of Israel’s stated goal of destroying Hamas. This is
now quite a turnabout.
Now after intensive diplomacy, carried out by my team, my many conversations
with leaders of Israel, Qatar and Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries,
Israel has now offered, Israel has offered a comprehensive new proposal.
As noted above, Biden says this proposal comes from “Israel,” but nowhere does
he confirm that it comes from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who
has been the chief obstacle to ceasefire negotiations.
It’s a roadmap to an enduring ceasefire and the release of all hostages. This
proposal has been transmitted by Qatar to Hamas.
Today, I want to lay out its terms for American citizens and for the world.
This new proposal has three phases, three. The first phase would last for six
weeks. Here’s what it would include: A full and complete ceasefire. A
withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza. Release of a
number of hostages, including women, the elderly, the wounded, in exchange for
the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
There are American hostages who will be released at this stage and we want them
home.
Additionally, some remains of hostages who have been killed will be returned to
their families, bringing some degree of closure to their terrible grief.
Palestinian civilians would return to their homes and neighborhoods in all
areas of Gaza, including in the north. Humanitarian assistance would surge with
600 trucks carrying aid into Gaza every single day.
With a ceasefire, that aid could be safely and effectively distributed to all
who need it. Hundreds of thousands of temporary shelters, including housing
units, would be delivered by the international community.
All that and more would begin immediately. Immediately. During the six weeks of
phase one, Israel and Hamas would negotiate the necessary arrangements to get
to phase two, which is a permanent end to hostilities.
These broad terms are similar to what were reported to be the terms of the deal
that Hamas �
<https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/6/text-of-the-ceasefire-proposal-approved-by-hamas>
accepted �in early May and which Israel had considered nonstarters.
Now I’ll be straight with you. There are a number of details to negotiate to
move from phase one to phase two.
Israel will want to make sure its interests are protected.
But the proposal says if the negotiations take longer than six weeks for phase
one, the ceasefire will still continue as long as the negotiations continue.
The United States, Egypt and Qatar would work to ensure negotiations keep
going, all agreements, all agreements, until all the agreements are reached,
and phase two is able to begin.
Then phase two would be an exchange for the release of all remaining living
hostages, including male soldiers, Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza. And
as long as Hamas lives up to its commitments, a temporary ceasefire would
become in the words of the Israeli proposal, “the cessation of hostilities
permanently,” end of quote, cessation of hostilities permanently.
Historically, Hamas has rigorously implemented deals it agrees to while Israel
has habitually violated them. We can expect nothing different if a deal here is
finally reached
Finally, in phase three, a major reconstruction plan for Gaza would commence
and any final remains of hostages who’ve been killed would be returned to their
families.
That’s the offer that’s now on the table.
Again, it sounds a lot like the US-approved offer that Hamas accepted in early
May and that Israel reneged on.
And what we’ve been asking for, it’s what we need. The people of Israel should
know, they can make this offer without any further risk to their own security
because they’ve devastated Hamas forces over the past eight months. At this
point, Hamas no longer is capable of carrying out another October 7. It’s one
of the Israelis’ main objectives in this war, and quite frankly, a righteous
one.
Any close observer of the battle on the ground knows that this is not true.
Israel has done virtually no damage to the resistance’s fighting ability as is
clear from how Israel forces have gone back into some of the first areas of
Gaza they entered in the north, and faced fierce resistance and suffered huge
losses even in recent days, � <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxid0jXgJXY>
such as in Jabaliya.
I know there are those in Israel who will not agree with this plan, and will
call for the war to continue indefinitely. Some, some are even in the
government coalition.
And they’ve made it clear they want to occupy Gaza. They want to keep fighting
for years, and hostages are not a priority to them. Well, I’ve urged the
leadership in Israel to stand behind this deal. Despite whatever pressure
comes. And to the people of Israel, let me say this, as someone who has had a
lifelong commitment to Israel, as the only American president who has ever gone
to Israel in a time of war, as someone who just sent the US forces to directly
defend Israel when it was attacked by Iran, I ask you to take a step back and
think what will happen if this moment is lost. We can’t lose this moment.
Here Biden is trying to appeal directly to Israelis, but it may be futile since
most Israelis support the genocide. It is odd that he would be appealing to
Israelis, including the Israeli government, to accept what is supposedly an
Israeli proposal!
Indefinite war in pursuit of an unidentified notion of total victory, will not
bring Israel, will not bring down – will only bog down Israel in Gaza, drain
the economic, military and human and human resources and further Israel’s
isolation in the world. That will not bring hostages home. That will not, not
bring an enduring defeat of Hamas that will not bring Israel lasting security.
But a comprehensive approach that starts with this deal will bring hostages
home and will lead to a more secure Israel. And once a ceasefire and hostage
deal are concluded, it unlocks the possibility of a great deal more progress,
including, including calm along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. The
United States will help forge a diplomatic resolution, one that ensures
Israel’s security and allows people to safely return to their homes without
fear of being attacked.
The two above paragraphs are important admissions by Biden that Israel is
incapable of winning military conflicts either in Gaza or on the northern front
with Lebanon, where the formidable Hizballah resistance organization is
entrenched. He’s telling Israelis that if you want “calm,” you have to do a
deal.
With the deal, the rebuilding of Gaza will begin, Arab nations and the
international community, along with Palestinian and Israeli leaders, to get it
done in a manner that does not allow Hamas to rearm. And the United States will
work with our partners to rebuild homes, schools and hospitals in Gaza, to help
repair communities that were destroyed in the chaos of war.
This is very vague language, probably deliberately so to obfuscate the reality
that Israel and the United States have failed to destroy Hamas. They are not
going to replace Hamas and yet somehow they are going to reconstruct Gaza while
sidelining Hamas. But it is notable that Biden does not make grand declarations
either about Hamas being removed and says nothing about who will rule Gaza.
That’s all for the good, because that is solely a Palestinian decision. The
only way to get this reconstruction done is with Hamas’ agreement, and that
seems to be what Biden is implicitly acknowledging.
And with this deal, Israel could come more deeply integrated in the region,
including, it’s no surprise to you all, including, you know, a potential
historic normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia. Israel could be part of a
regional security network to counter the threat posed by Iran. All this
progress would make Israel more secure, with Israeli families no longer living
in the shadow of a terrorist attack.
This sounds like an effort to offer Israel incentives, but it is delusional to
think that after perpetrating genocide, that Israel is going to be integrated
into the region. The situation after this genocide is not going to be a return
to regional business as usual.
All this would create the conditions for a different future, a better future
for the Palestinian people. One of self-determination, dignity, security and
freedom.
It is notable here that Biden doesn’t say anything about the “two-state
solution,” but resorts to lofty slogans about “self-determination” and
“freedom.” Those terms can be made to mean anything, including limited autonomy
in a bantustan.
This path is available once the deal is struck. Israel will always have the
right to defend itself against the threats to its security and to bring those
responsible for October 7 to justice. And the United States will always ensure
that Israel has what it needs to defend itself.
If Hamas fails to fulfill its commitments under the deal, Israel can resume
military operations. But Egypt and Qatar have assured me and they are
continuing to work to ensure that Hamas doesn’t do that. The United States will
help ensure that Israel lives up to their obligations as well.
Again, it is Israel and the United States who cannot be trusted in any deal,
historically. Biden, for instance, has opposed Israel’s attack on Rafah, only
to turn around and approve it and even to justify its atrocities.
That’s what this deal says. That’s what it says. And we’ll do our part. This is
truly a decisive moment. Israel has made their proposal.
Hamas says it wants a ceasefire. This deal is an opportunity to prove whether
they really mean it. Hamas needs to take the deal. For months, people all over
the world have called for a ceasefire. Now it’s time to raise your voices and
demand Hamas comes to the table, agrees to this deal and end this war that they
began.
This is galling, given that it is Biden and Israel who long refused any talk of
a ceasefire, while Hamas accepted the US-backed proposal earlier this month. It
is also absurd to claim that Hamas “began” this war, as if history started on 7
October 2023.
Of course there’ll be differences on the specific details that need to be
worked out, as natural. If Hamas comes to negotiate ready to deal, then
Israel’s negotiators must be given a mandate, the necessary flexibility to
close that deal.
Biden has claimed that this is an Israeli proposal, and yet here he’s calling
on Israel to give its own negotiators a mandate. Why would he need to make that
appeal publicly if Israel was behind this proposal and wanted to make it happen?
The past eight months have marked heartbreaking pain, pain of those whose loved
ones were slaughtered by Hamas terrorists on October 7th. Hostages and families
waited in anguish. Ordinary Israelis whose lives are forever marked by the
shattering event of Hamas’ sexual violence and ruthless brutality.
And the Palestinian people have endured sheer hell in this war. Too many
innocent people have been killed, including thousands of children. Far too many
have been badly wounded.
This is so disingenuous. While Biden repeats Israel’s �
<https://electronicintifada.net/tags/mass-rape-accusation> mass rapes lie, he
talks about the death and destruction in Gaza as if he had no personal role in
it. He approved it, called for it, armed Israel to carry it out, and is still
doing so to this day.
We all saw the terrible images from a deadly fire in Rafah earlier this week,
following an Israeli strike against targeting Hamas.
It is outrageous that Biden is justifying and excusing Israel’s attack on
refugee tents in Rafah.
And even as he worked to surge assistance to Gaza, with 1,800 trucks delivering
supplies, these last five days, 1,800, the humanitarian crisis still remains.
I know this is a subject on which people in this country feel deep, passionate
convictions. And so do I. This has been one of the hardest, most complicated
problems in the world. There’s nothing easy about this, nothing easy about it.
Through it all, though, the United States has worked relentlessly to support
Israeli security, to get humanitarian supplies into Gaza, to get a ceasefire
and a hostage deal to bring this war to an end.
This is another gross distortion of the US role. Israel deliberately shut off
all aid routes into Gaza and the United States helped it cause starvation and
catastrophe by �
<https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/maureen-clare-murphy/israels-allies-accelerate-genocide-freezing-unrwa-funds>
cutting off funding to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees. At any
time, the US could have used its enormous leverage to force Israel to reopen
the crossings it closed, but Washington has refused to do so.
Yesterday, with this new initiative, we’ve taken an important step in that
direction. I want to level with you today as to where we are and what might be
possible.
But I need your help.
Everyone who wants peace now must raise their voices. Let the leaders know they
should take this deal, work to make it real, make it lasting, and forge a
better future out of the tragic terror attack and war.
Biden is placing himself here as a hapless outside observer, instead of what he
is, the key enabler of Israel’s genocide. He is and has always been the key
decision maker who could have stopped Israel’s extermination campaign at any
time. For months, Americans have been raising their voices against him,
demanding he stop the flow of weapons to Israel, that he stop vetoing UN
Security Council ceasefire resolutions, that he stop opposing and frustrating
efforts to hold Israel accountable, whether at the International Court of
Justice or the International Criminal Court.
It’s time to begin this new stage, for the hostages, hostages to come home, for
Israel to be secure, for the suffering to stop. It’s time for this war to end.
For the day after to begin.
For all his evasions, distortions, lies and victim-blaming, the key takeaway
from Biden’s speech is an admission of both Israeli and American failure and
the search for a face-saving way out. But if Biden really wants to end the war,
he does not need to publicly beg and cajole Israeli leaders. He can just stop
the flow of weapons.
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