Thanks, Biden: Hamas Now Refuses to Budge on Hostage Talks.. Ed Morrissey

[mystery-ak]

Thanks, Biden: Hamas Now Refuses to Budge on Hostage Talks
Ed Morrissey 10:00 AM | May 10, 2024

Incentives: How do they work again? Perhaps someone needs to explain that concept to the White House.

Republicans and no small number of Democrats (more on that in a moment) warned that Joe Biden's suspension of arms shipments to Israel would take pressure off Hamas in negotiations. It didn't take long before Hamas proved Biden's critics correct in an utterly predictable manner:

    Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas over a deal to halt fighting in the Gaza Strip and free hostages kidnapped on October 7 appeared to break up with no discernable progress, as the terror group said it had no intention of budging from a proposal already rejected by Israel. ...

    In a message to other Palestinian factions published by the group’s al-Aqsa TV mouthpiece Friday, Hamas said talks had ended after Israel “rejected the proposal submitted by the mediators and raised objections to it.”

    It said Hamas had decided to stick to the terms of the proposal it agreed to Monday, rejecting the possibility of making any concessions.

    “The ball is now completely in the hands of the occupation,” the statement read.

In fairness, why would Hamas budge from its current maximalist position? Israel's closest ally is publicly blaming PM Benjamin Netanyahu for the war that Hamas started. US negotiators have piled pressure on Israel to make more and more concessions, all without bothering to even scold Hamas over the American hostages it holds. Key Democrat leaders in the US have called for Netanyahu to resign to find more compliant politicians in Israel to help Hamas get what it wants out of the talks, and Biden publicly agreed with them.

And now Biden has begun cutting off arms shipments to force Israel to allow Hamas to survive in Rafah.

more
https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2024/05/10/thanks-biden-hamas-now-refuses-to-budge-on-hostage-talks-n3788138

[PeteS in CA]

Hamas invaded Israel and did horrific things because they thought LIEden would pressure Israel into weak reaction.

Hamas doubled down by fighting because they thought LIEden would pressure Israel into stopping short of bring decisive.

Now Hamas has gone all-in, thinking LIEden has crippled Israel.

Hamas was right about LIEden; Hamas has been wrong about Israel, and will learn the hard way how crippled Israel is.

* Some Israeli soldiers may die as a result of LIEden's move, as LIEden and his minions intended.

* Some civilians prevented by Hamas from evacuating will die, as LIEden and his minions intended and for which LIEden and his minions will condemn Israel.

* Many Hamas fighters, including many leaders, probably, will die, something LIEden and his minions did not forsee.

[Hoodat]

Imagine if our worst enemies took control of the US government and attempted to use that control to destroy America.  Now compare that with what Biden is doing.