Sources told ๐๐๐๐ก that Blinkenโs remarks about the negotiations indicate his โamateurism, naivety, and lack of understandingโ
by Dave DeCamp, Antiwar. com, August 22, 2024
Secretary of State Antony Blinkenโs comments about Gaza ceasefire talks this week sentenced the negotiations to death, Middle East Eye reported Thursday, citing Israeli media.
After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Blinken said the Israeli leader agreed to a new US proposal and that it was now up to Hamas to agree to the deal. However, the US proposal included new demands from Netanyahu that Hamas considers unacceptable. Israeli, US, and Arab sources have all said Netanyahuโs demands are too hardline and will prevent a deal.
Sources speaking to Ynet slammed Blinken for making the comments that portrayed Hamas as the obstacle to a deal. โBlinken made a very serious foul here that indicates innocence, amateurism, naivety, and lack of understanding,โ a source said.
They added that Blinkenโs positive spin on the ceasefire negotiations was likely an effort to prevent the situation from overshadowing the Democratic National Convention.
โHe broadcast optimism from intra-American political considerations, so that the Democratic convention in Chicago would go smoothly, but senior officials of the Israeli negotiating team who listened to his press conference wanted to dispel the speculations,โ the source said.
The sources called Blinkenโs comments a โgiftโ to Netanyahu and said the Israeli leaderโs continued insistence that Israel must maintain control of the Gaza-Egypt border, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, will prevent a deal.
โThere is no deal and there is no summit if the Israeli insistence on deploying forces along the Philadelphi axis continues,โ the source said. โWhat was implied in Blinkenโs words is that the US is giving Netanyahu support for IDF forces to remain in Philadelphi, while both the Egyptians refuse and Hamas refuses.โ
US and Israeli officials are due to meet again in Cairo this week to discuss the ceasefire, but Arab mediators have said thereโs no point in holding talks unless the US puts significant pressure on Netanyahu to back down from his demands and agree to a deal.
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