Three Signs the Washington-Jerusalem Rift Is Deepening

Is the Washington-Jerusalem rift reaching critical mass? At least three recent developments point to this being the case.First, Washington is seeking a “firm timeline” for creating a Palestinian state, which Israelis see as rewarding Hamas’s atrocities. Second, America is probing Israel for possible “misuse” of U.S. arms to kill civilians. Third, the CIA chief, William Burns, is pressuring Israel to return to negotiations over Hamas’s demands for hostage releases, following Prime Minister Netanyahu’s refusal to attend a Cairo session on hostages.At the same time, Jerusalem is anticipating condemnation of its Gaza war to widen further as it launches a Thursday operation inside the Strip’s second-largest medical facility, at Khan Younis. News headlines describe a “catastrophe,” as “Israel’s special forces have launched a raid on the besieged Nasser medical complex, the main hospital in southern Gaza.” The Israel Defense Force has “credible intelligence from a number of sources, including from released hostages, indicating that Hamas held hostages at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, and that there may be bodies of our hostages” there, its chief spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said. The spokesman made the statement in a recorded English-language video, which was clearly intended to blunt foreign criticism. The IDF will later hand over incriminating findings to international partners, he said. As world criticism of Israel mounts, some are starting to minimize its enemies’ atrocities. Hamas is “not a terrorist group for us, as you know, it is a political movement,” the humanitarian coordinator for the United Nations, Martin Griffiths, told Sky News. The UN then attempted to walk back the statement.Secretary-General Guterres “has been unequivocal in condemning the abhorrent terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas on 7 October, and that there can be no justification for them,” his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, told the Sun. Yet, he added, “For the UN, designations of groups as terrorist organizations can only be made by the Security Council.”Unlike the UN council — which could only agree that Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and ISIS are terrorist organizations — America, most of Europe, and others have long designated Hamas as such. Yet, pressure is growing on Israel to allow the group to remain in control of parts of Khan Younis and at Rafah, where four Hamas battalions, and likely some of its top commanders, are holed up. President Biden is pressuring Israel to agree to the mounting number of concessions Hamas is amassing for the release of 134 hostages it holds — even as America, the UN, and others are calling for an “immediate and unconditional” release.“The key elements of the deal are on the table,” Mr. Biden said last week. “There are gaps that remain but I’ve encouraged Israeli leaders to keep working to achieve the deal.” That “deal” was rehashed this week at Cairo, where Mr. Burns met with Egyptians, Qataris, and an Israeli delegation led by the Mossad chief, David Barnea. Unmentioned in Mr. Biden’s statement is that Hamas — the only power that can actually release hostages — was not a party to the Cairo discussions. Its demands, termed “delusional” by Mr. Netanyahu, have not seemed to change this week. Yet, the Cairo group decided to continue negotiations. At that point Mr. Netanyahu instructed Mr. Barnea to stay home, rather than return to Cairo. The premier may have concluded that the American-led negotiations have hit a brick wall. Conversely, he may be playing hard ball — as is common in Mideast bazaars — to improve Israel’s bargaining positions while the IDF is pounding Hamas.Either way, Mr. Netanyahu’s move seemed to anger Mr. Biden, who dispatched Mr. Burns to Jerusalem to lean on the Israeli government.At the same time, officials told the Wall Street Journal that the administration is probing whether the IDF misused American ammunition, indicating that down the road Washington could limit arms sales to Israel, as some Democrats increasingly demand. In another leak-based story, the Washington Post claims that America and Arab states are “rushing to complete a detailed, comprehensive plan for long-term peace between Israel and Palestinians, including a firm timeline for the establishment of a Palestinian state.”Mr. Netnayahu reportedly told Secretary Blinken last week that “the creation of a Palestinian state now would be a prize for those who planned and orchestrated the October 7 massacre.” Few Israelis would disagree, especially as the Palestinian Authority’s president is yet to denounce the Hamas attack of that day. While in official statements America remains supportive of Israel’s goal of obliterating Hamas, Washington officials from the president on down are making clear to Mr. Netanyahu that they are losing patience over the war. They would much rather talk of long-term diplomatic solutions, which most Israelis see as pie in the sky.

Three Signs the Washington-Jerusalem Rift Is Deepening

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