Blinken to Netanyahu: Israel Faces Disaster Without 'Coherent Plan'

Facts

• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday as part of a diplomatic tour through the region in a bid to secure a temporary cease-fire in Gaza. Blinken reportedly warned Netanyahu and his war cabinet that, without a 'coherent plan,' Israel could face a 'major insurgency' and 'be stuck in Gaza.'¹
• After the meeting, Netanyahu said that he had thanked the US for its support but made clear that, to defeat Hamas' remaining battalions, Israeli forces would have to enter Rafah — in which over 1M displaced Palestinians have taken refuge — even if it didn't have support from the US.¹
• Blinken's visit to Israel comes a day after he met with Egyptian Pres. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo regarding cease-fire negotiations, saying that 'gaps are narrowing' between Israel and Hamas. Blinken made clear that 'there's still difficult work to get there, but I continue to believe it's possible.'²
• Blinken also said that talks regarding normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia were seeing 'very good progress,' after meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday. Initial reports indicate that normalization would include Saudi recognition of Israel and credible progress toward Palestinian statehood.³
• In contrast, as top regional officials travel to Doha to continue the cease-fire negotiations, an Israeli official told the Times of Israel that negotiations have not made real progress, adding that the US is pressuring Israel to move forward.⁴
• As negotiations continue, international pressure on Israel has increased, with EU leaders for the first time unanimously calling for 'an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire' in Gaza. They said they were 'appalled' and 'deeply concerned' by the humanitarian situation in the strip.⁵

Sources: ¹Axios, ²NPR Online News, ³The Times of Israel (a), ⁴The Times of Israel (b) and ⁵Euronews.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by CBS. The US is doing everything it can to both ensure that Israel can eliminate Hamas's military capabilities and prevent regional escalation. However, Netanyahu is going too far with the war in Gaza, and he must be willing to follow through on his promises and compromise as needed so that another extended truce can take effect, which will hopefully lead to a more permanent resolution to this conflict. Security can only come through peace.
• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by The Jerusalem Post. Israel will always be thankful for the US' steadfast support, but the Biden admin. needs to refrain from tying Israel's hands behind its back. Hamas is simply not interested in negotiating in good faith and has consistently shown its preference for violence. Biden is playing politics while Israeli soldiers fight and die for their country's very existence, and he must understand that Israel does not want this war. As the world forgets the horrors of Oct. 7, Israel will stand alone if need be to defend itself.
• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. The Biden admin. has resorted to cheap tactics to deny its support for Israel's brutal war on Gaza. Biden has armed Israel, given it diplomatic cover, and refused to call for a permanent cease-fire. Palestinians are literally starving to death, and Biden would rather wax about poorly planned plans for new aid delivery mechanisms like building a port instead of taking concrete action to deter Israel's criminal behavior — which would be unsustainable without US support.

Predictions