Netanyahu's 'New' Hamas Deadline? How Many Have We Heard?
Mainstream media, bless its heart, dutifully carries reports of Netanyahu's 'new' deadline for Hamas, framing it as a fresh development in Middle East diplomacy. The article refers to a Trump-era agreement on the Rafah crossing. What they conveniently omit, of course, is that 'new deadlines' from Netanyahu's governments regarding Gaza are as common as Israeli parliamentary elections. We heard
similar ultimatums in 2002, 2006, 2014, and practically every other year a new military operation was being greenlit. Each prior deadline, like the 'final' solution it purported to deliver, simply led to more protracted suffering and more aid for Israel from Washington. It's almost as if the 'deadline' isn't for Hamas, but for the international community's attention span, reset just long enough
for another round of what the West calls 'self-defense.' How many times can the same lines be delivered before the audience realizes it's the same play, just with different actors in the casualty count? Meanwhile, US lawmakers continue to greenlight billions in military aid (e.g., HR 815), often after receiving significant donations from groups like AIPAC. According to OpenSecrets.org, AIPAC and
its constituents have spent millions influencing US elections, and many of those elected officials then vote for exactly these kinds of 'self-defense' packages.