Israeli Military Escalates War Against Bibi

Aug. 5—The Israeli military command, desperate to stop the war in Gaza, not to mention a wider war, possibly with Iran and other regional powers over the West Bank and Lebanon, have taken the risky step of going fully public with their view that bloodthirsty Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu is the sole factor preventing peace and the return of the remaining hostages taken by Hamas.

Sources report that the Israeli military command took these steps after Netanyahu, against the advice of the intelligence chiefs of the Mossad and the Shin Bet, who are leading the negotiations for a ceasefire/hostage deal, added new demands that he knew were unacceptable to Hamas, and then gave the order to go ahead with the assassination July 31 in Tehran of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who had been leading those negotiations on behalf of Hamas and who was the main force inside Hamas advocating a negotiated settlement to both the war in Gaza and for a two-states solution, both of which Bibi opposes. Sources say the military and intelligence chiefs decided that they had to name Bibi, directly, as the person driving Israel into a dangerous, no-win situation.

The Israeli military command made sure that the full contents of the secret discussion in the Israeli security cabinet meeting that took place Aug. 2 was leaked to friendly media; Bibi himself has often employed such leaks for his own purposes.

Haaretz columnist Yossi Verter had reported that such a step was about to be taken earlier: “A source familiar with the discussions of the limited forum that approved this week’s assassinations said he thinks the heads of the IDF, Mossad, and Shin Bet security services will soon say publicly (that is, during a security cabinet meeting, since those are leaked to everyone) that in their view, Netanyahu is the one preventing progress in the deal. That would be a turning point.” That same day, Haaretz reported that the Israeli defense chiefs believe that PM Netanyahu is not interested in a hostage release/cease-fire deal with Hamas, according to “a senior member of the Israeli negotiating team.”

Then, following the Aug. 2 meeting of the security cabinet, Israel’s Channel 12 broadcast a report claiming that Mossad chief David Barnea, who has been leading Israel’s negotiations on a deal, said at the meeting that a deal was ready, and that Israel must take it. In reply, Netanyahu shouted down his security chiefs, banged on the table, and told them they were lousy negotiators.

According to Channel 12, the discussion of opportunities for a hostage deal descended into a bitter argument:

Shin Bet head Ronen Bar: “I feel that the prime minister does not want the proposal that is on the table. If that is the case, tell us.”

IDF Gen. Nitzan Alon: “You know that all the parameters (that you recently added to Israel’s proposal from late May) will not be accepted, and there won’t be a deal. With what you’re saying, we’ve got nothing to go with [in the negotiations]. We’re at zero.”

IDF Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi reportedly made comments similar to Alon’s.

Barnea: “There’s a deal. If we procrastinate, we could miss the opportunity. We must take it.”

Netanyahu, banging on the table: “You are weaklings. You don’t know how to run a tough negotiation. You are putting words in my mouth. Instead of pressuring the prime minister, [you should] put pressure on [Hamas Gaza chief and suspected Bibi asset Yahya] Sinwar.”

The security chiefs left the meeting concluding that Netanyahu does not want a deal at this point, the TV report said. It quotes unnamed security sources saying he remains stubborn “even though we have made clear to him that the security establishment can deal with the consequences of a deal.” The unnamed sources are also quoted as asserting, “He has given up on the hostages.”

The report is now the number one subject of discussion in Israel. Sources report it is absolutely linked to Bibi’s clear drive, backed by the lunatic Global NATO faction in Washington, for a wider war against Iran, one that he believes would force U.S. military intervention in support of Israel.

Hezbollah, one of whose military commanders, Faud Shakr, was assassinated July 30 by an Israeli air strike on a Beirut suburb, had said that it would withdraw to behind the 1949 Un-drawn Green Line Armistice demarcation lines and halt further military actions, were a ceasefire deal to be signed and implemented in Gaza. Sources report that such a deal, complicated by the two assassinations, nevertheless remains on the table and that America’s most able diplomat, CIA Director William Burns remains engaged in the process.

“The military and intel people might shoot Bibi if they could get away with it,” said a source, “But then the crazies like [National Security Minister] Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich would just go nuts, and the country would be plunged into a civil war. But this can’t go on. The military chiefs believe that Bibi gave his blessing to the riots against the military police and other staff officers who had detained reservists who had criminally and horribly abused a Palestinian prisoner. It is one thing to be asked to defend and die for Israel. It is another to go to war on behalf of some deranged lunatic’s messianic fantasy.”

The statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office after the meeting with the security chiefs claimed that it is false to suggest that Hamas had accepted terms for a deal, adding that all the demands Israel is insisting on are “in accordance with the May 27 Israeli proposal.” It then boldly asserts a double lie that Netanyahu “has not added a thing” to that proposal, whereas “Hamas is demanding dozens of changes.” It is “precisely because of a desire [for a viable deal],” the statement concluded, that Netanyahu has now instructed negotiators to travel to Cairo; they have since returned without any deal, just as he and they knew would be the case.

Hamas dismissed Netanyahu’s statement: “Netanyahu does not want to stop the war and is using these empty statements to cover up his crimes and evade their consequences,” senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters.

Relatives of Israeli and others being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza protested outside Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv, saying that “Netanyahu chose to drag us to escalation instead of closing a deal.” Hundreds of thousands of Israelis demonstrated across the country Aug. 3demanding that the government reach a deal to release the hostages, and that Netanyahu resign.