For years, Netanyahu propped up Hamas. Now it's blown up in our faces

[TeamProg]

(Please note: The Times Of Israel is a valid and responsible media outlet. I was urged to post this piece by an Admin himself after a similar post from a less reliable source was flagged and removed -thank you)

https://www.timesofisrael.com/for-years-netanyahu-propped-up-hamas-now-its-blown-up-in-our-faces/

For years, Netanyahu propped up Hamas. Now it’s blown up in our faces

By Tal Schneider 8 October 2023, 3:58 pm

For years, the various governments led by Benjamin Netanyahu took an approach that divided power between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank — bringing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to his knees while making moves that propped up the Hamas terror group.
The idea was to prevent Abbas — or anyone else in the Palestinian Authority’s West Bank government — from advancing toward the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Thus, amid this bid to impair Abbas, Hamas was upgraded from a mere terror group to an organization with which Israel held indirect negotiations via Egypt, and one that was allowed to receive infusions of cash from abroad.

Hamas was also included in discussions about increasing the number of work permits Israel granted to Gazan laborers, which kept money flowing into Gaza, meaning food for families and the ability to purchase basic products.

Israeli officials said these permits, which allow Gazan laborers to earn higher salaries than they would in the enclave, were a powerful tool to help preserve calm.
-snip-

Most of the time, Israeli policy was to treat the Palestinian Authority as a burden and Hamas as an asset. Far-right MK Bezalel Smotrich, now the finance minister in the hardline government and leader of the Religious Zionism party, said so himself in 2015.
-snip-


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Much, much more at the link, really interesting.

[dchill]

1. Tangled web, woven.

[Girard442]

2. Chalk up another stunning success to Realpolitik

Heavy

[TeamProg]

3. Pretty much. I'd forgotten that word and had to look it up again. The word is not as wide spread as

IT SHOULD BE.

[Old Crank]

4. Sounds like he was pulling

A Kissinger.

What a disgusting person. Meanwhile settlers are forcing people off their lands in the West Bank.

[question everything]

5. What does this have to do with the barbaric massacre?

Are you implying that "they deserve it?' On these pages?

[Scrivener7]

6. Are you putting words in another poster's mouth?

Because what you are accusing is not in there.

[Old Crank]

9. I dont think he said that at all

The article is about decisions apparently made by Netanyahu to stay in power and reduce the risk of having a Palestinian state. The term for what happened would be blowback.

No one in the article is excusing the actions of Hamas, which were horrific.

[Uncle Joe]

7. A prime example of the tragic folly of governing by a zero sum game.

Thanks for the thread TeamProg.

[thesquanderer]

8. Also similar to this other post earlier today from WAPO...

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218482532

[Mosby]

10. This has been posted over and over.

The author is a TV media person who wants to play the Israeli right against the left. The Israeli government has little to nothing to do with the rift between Fatah and Hamas, Bibi spun the humanitarian aid he was letting into Gaza to his far right coalition partners. No serious person thinks that Bibi was supporting Hamas.

The right wingers wanted Bibi to starve out Hamas in Gaza, so he came up with a story.

Eta it's fascinating how people want to believe Netanyahu statements, and yet he is a far right winger who bullshits all the time. But here, it's the God's honest truth, lol.

Wonder why.

[TeamProg]

11. Fingers in ears.. la la la la la la .. A lot of that going on these days. And no, the subject has not

been "posted over and over'.

The first time I posted it it got flagged - thank YOU!

[Mosby]

12. Why do you believe Netanyahu?

Do you also believe everything Trump says?

[TeamProg]

13. The article said Bibi has NOT made his moves public, keeping them low profile. He's evil, but not

stupid.

I DO believe the author of the piece. You should read it.