Israel under attack

[morqthana]

Can Marwan Barghouti, the ‘Palestinian Mandela’, bring peace to Gaza?

Hamas has said that the group would only release all 240 Israeli hostages held in Gaza if Israel agrees to free all Palestinian prisoners. Among those locked up is Marwan Barghouti, sentenced to life…

www.france24.com

I've been reading quite a lot about this geezer, been in an Israeli prison since 2002, to me, and I may be wrong, he might be the sort of bloke who could lead the Palestinians in negotiations with Israel.

It won't happen if Hamas aren't all but wiped out, it won't happen if Netanyahu stays in power, it won't happen without a central govt for West Bank and Gaza.

Should there be a release of Hamas hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners of war/political prisoners and Marwan Bargouti is among those freed, there might be a glimmer of hope for the long term.

It's almost as if Israel doesn't really want a lasting peace, or hope for the long term

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/israel-wont-free-marwan-barghouti-in-deal-with-hamas-govt-spokesperson-says/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-jewish-community-leader-lobbied-for-prominent-palestinian-prisoner-barghoutis-release/

 

[Vinty]

Bet the 6 million Jews who died in real concentration camps would swap places.

What about the millions of non Jews who died .

 

[fillyboy]

It's almost as if Israel doesn't really want a lasting peace, or hope for the long term

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/israel-wont-free-marwan-barghouti-in-deal-with-hamas-govt-spokesperson-says/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-jewish-community-leader-lobbied-for-prominent-palestinian-prisoner-barghoutis-release/

Yes I mentioned him the other week wondering if he might be on list of those to be freed, well done for finding that.

I wish I knew the reasoning behind it, but I don't.

 

[morqthana]

Yes I mentioned him the other week wondering if he might be on list of those to be freed, well done for finding that.

I wish I knew the reasoning behind it, but I don't.

Probably because Netenyahu is in hock to the right-wing extremists in his government who will not countenance a withdrawal to the pre-67 borders and don't want a unifying Palestinian leader supporting a 2-state solution. They'd much rather continue to face divisive armed groups who reject a 2-state solution and want to destroy Israel completely.

 

[fillyboy]

Probably because Netenyahu is in hock to the right-wing extremists in his government who will not countenance a withdrawal to the pre-67 borders and don't want a unifying Palestinian leader supporting a 2-state solution. They'd much rather continue to face divisive armed groups who reject a 2-state solution and want to destroy Israel completely.

Might be the reason, although I doubt it.

 

[Odds]

Probably because Netenyahu is in hock to the right-wing extremists in his government who will not countenance a withdrawal to the pre-67 borders and don't want a unifying Palestinian leader supporting a 2-state solution. They'd much rather continue to face divisive armed groups who reject a 2-state solution and want to destroy Israel completely.

Sounds about right to me.

 

[Knave of Hearts]

Might be the reason, although I doubt it.

A few things are common knowledge:
1. There is an extreme Zionist party in Netanyahu's coalition.

The coalition government currently consists of five parties — Likud, Shas, Otzma Yehudit, Religious Zionist Party and New Hope
The government is widely regarded as the most right-wing government in the country's history, and includes far-right politicians.

Thirty-seventh government of Israel - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Religious Zionist Party is opposed to any territorial concessions to Palestinian or Syrian claims for land. Some members support the annexation of the entire West Bank,

Religious Zionist Party - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

2. Netanyahu relies on the support of the Religious Zionists to continue in government.

Netanyahu’s reliance on two ideologically distinct but politically indispensable allies: the ultra-Orthodox parties and the religious Zionist bloc.

Netanyahu, Ben Gvir, Smotrich: An Anatomy of the Israeli Government

The 7 October 2023 attacks marked a critical shift in Israeli politics, deepening Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reliance on two ideologically distinc

meiswitzerland.ch

3.Netanyahu is charged with serious crimes in Israel. These charges have been delayed since 2018 due to Netanyahu being Israel PM since 2009.

Netanyahu was charged with fraud, breach of trust, and bribery in this case. Elovitch was also charged with bribery. The charges against Netanyahu include receiving bribes and acting in a conflict of interest as Minister of Communications.

Trial of Benjamin Netanyahu - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

There are other issues that have not proceeded to charges being brought.

4. The trial of Netanyahu started in May 2020 but has been delayed, and delayed due to the Gaza conflict and Netanyahu's minor surgery.
Three other co-conspirators have agreed to a plea bargain to testify against Netanyahu.

Netanyahu has been accused of exploiting the Gaza war for his own gains, and an end to it could cause him problems.

The six problems a Gaza ceasefire has brought Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu has been accused of exploiting the Gaza war for his own gains, and an end to it could cause him problems.

www.aljazeera.com

5.Israel has become a pariah in global international standing, and Netanyahu is blamed for that.

Israel has never been more isolated on the international stage than it is now, and for many, Netanyahu has become the face of that.

The six problems a Gaza ceasefire has brought Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu has been accused of exploiting the Gaza war for his own gains, and an end to it could cause him problems.

www.aljazeera.com

6. Elections are due in Israel by October 2026. Netanyahu's only chance of avoiding trial is either another war, or another term as PM.
But another term as PM does not automatically grant him immunity from prosecution. That still is determined by the Knesset and the court.

Israel does not grant immunity to its premiers, but they have amazing power while in office to delay and frustrate criminal investigations against themselves, particularly during national emergencies.

The trial of Benjamin Netanyahu

From petty corruption to genocide, the charges continue to mount. But the Israeli prime minister’s actions since October 7, 2023, show he is determined to escape the shadow of justice

www.thenewworld.co.uk

7. Netanyahu faces an arrest warrant by the ICC for various war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, etc.

Netanyahu’s actions have been sufficiently extreme that the International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for his arrest.

The trial of Benjamin Netanyahu

From petty corruption to genocide, the charges continue to mount. But the Israeli prime minister’s actions since October 7, 2023, show he is determined to escape the shadow of justice

www.thenewworld.co.uk

My personal opinion is that Netanyahu will either break the ceasefire with Hamas, or will start another war, or will reignite another conflict erelong..

 

[fillyboy]

My personal opinion is that Netanyahu will either break the ceasefire with Hamas, or will start another war, or will reignite another conflict erelong..

Seems a bit drastic over some cigars and a few cases of Brandy. But what's all that got to do with whether or not Marwan Barghouti is released.

 

[Knave of Hearts]

Seems a bit drastic over some cigars and a few cases of Brandy. But what's all that got to do with whether or not Marwan Barghouti is released.

If the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu fears anything, it is the clank of a prison door closing behind him. This is something many people in his orbit have said: former friends and staff, political rivals, journalists and more. Netanyahu sees jail in his future, and he would do almost anything to avoid it.
Over time, it has become impossible to describe Netanyahu’s actions as anything other than a series of war crimes. Evidence has emerged time and again of the deliberate targeting of civilians and journalists. Netanyahu’s ministers openly talk about ethnically cleansing Gaza of Palestinians, permanently – genocidal talk. He is engaged in an open campaign to starve Gaza, still done supposedly in the cause of freeing hostages – but few even within Israel still believe that.
For the last decade, Netanyahu’s life has been shaped by an ongoing corruption investigation into gifts he received while in office, and which were also given to his wife, Sara. As that case has mounted against him, the prospect of conviction has become ever more real.
Domestic courts are another story.
Israel takes personal misconduct in political office seriously, and has a track record of jailing its politicians. In 2014, former prime minister Ehud Olmert was sentenced to six years in prison for accepting gifts in return for political favours (he eventually served 16 months behind bars). In 2016, prosecutors opened a very similar investigation into Netanyahu – but with even higher sums at stake. He is not wrong to fear conviction and imprisonment.

The trial of Benjamin Netanyahu

From petty corruption to genocide, the charges continue to mount. But the Israeli prime minister’s actions since October 7, 2023, show he is determined to escape the shadow of justice

www.thenewworld.co.uk

In addition the enquiry into failings leading up to the incursion by Hamas, and others can now continue, well while the ceasefire holds.

Will there be an Israeli inquiry into Netanyahu’s failings ahead of the October 7 attack?​

It’s looking more and more likely.

Separate investigations into the army and intelligence service’s failures in the run-up to the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023 –...– exposed glaring oversights and confusion within Israel’s security services as they struggled to respond to an assault that they had not seen coming.
Both the army and intelligence chiefs resigned in the wake of each inquiry.
While Netanyahu ..., he has resisted one into his own government’s role, claiming it would be politically biased and impractical during wartime.
But after the ceasefire, Israel’s High Court ruled unanimously that there was no longer “any real argument” to delay it, giving the government 30 days to respond.

The six problems a Gaza ceasefire has brought Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu has been accused of exploiting the Gaza war for his own gains, and an end to it could cause him problems.

www.aljazeera.com

The walls are closing in for Netanyahu.

 

[morqthana]

Seems a bit drastic over some cigars and a few cases of Brandy.

It's $150K - $200K AFAICT.

Small change compared to many political leader bribefests, but not negligible.

But there is the principle at stake that politicians shouldn't take bribes.

And then of course there's the media influencing and distortion of a free press.

But what's all that got to do with whether or not Marwan Barghouti is released.

Continued support of the right-wingers is all that keeps his administration afloat.

Keeping his administration afloat is all that keeps him out of court and quite possibly jail.

Keeping Barghouti locked up is what the right-wingers essential to him remaining at liberty want.