Haaretz: Netanyahu is the master of fake negotiations

Israeli Haaretz newspaper published an editorial entitled “Israel’s Netanyahu is the master of phony negotiations”.

Haaretz says that the issue of the hostages who have been slowly dying in Hamas tunnels for more than ten months has become part of the great drama supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fluctuating positions regarding the hostage deal.

Haaretz adds that the general public, and the families of the hostages in particular, have fallen into the trap of hope and disappointment, in the context of what is being said about Netanyahu being ready to negotiate, that he agrees to give the Israeli delegation some freedom, and that he is ready to show flexibility.

Yet the Israelis are surprised that Netanyahu adds more conditions, says in secret forums that the deal isn’t certain, that its collapsing, and then starts all over again.

Meanwhile, more and more hostages are dying.

Haaretz cites a recent example of this on Thursday evening, when Netanyahu spoke to US President Joe Biden and expressed his willingness to be flexible regarding the Philadelphi Corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt, before an Israeli government official came out and commented that Netanyahu “hasn’t changed his position on the need for Israeli control and presence in the Philadelphi Corridor”.

Hence, Haaretz says that Netanyahu has over the years become a master of faking negotiations; he talks a lot without doing anything, and therefore, he cannot be allowed to continue conducting sham negotiations that give up the hostages and pave the way for regional expansion in the form of “Israeli security control” in the Gaza Strip, i.e. a “temporary” occupation of Gaza.

Haaretz warns against allowing Netanyahu to occupy the public with false hopes for the return of the hostages, while letting them die slowly, paving the way for chaos in the Middle East and creating a new reality on the ground.

Haaretz concludes that the Israelis need to wake up and make it clear to the prime minister that he doesn’t have a mandate to sacrifice the hostages on the altar of the occupation of Gaza and an all-out war.

Haaretz added that it’s better for the public to wake up quickly, while some of the hostages are still alive.