Biden’s Push to End the War in Gaza

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[Music]. in an unexpected speech last week. President Biden revealed the details of. a secret proposal intended to end the. war in Gaza most surprising was where. that proposal had come. from today my colleague Isabel kersner. explains Biden's Gambit and the. difficult Choice it presents for Israel.

leader Benjamin. [Music]. [Applause]. [Music]. Netanyahu it's Wednesday June. [Music]. 5th Isabelle tell us about this speech. from President Biden last Friday at the. White House so last Friday President. Biden made a speech and it came at a.

pivotal moment in the war because for. weeks beforehand the whole world had. been focused on Israel's long delayed. invasion of the city of Rafa the. Southernmost city in the Gaza Strip and. also the city that about a million. displaced Palestinians had fled to to. find Refuge from fighting in other areas. of the Gaza Strip so understandably. there was huge concern internationally.

and particularly a lot of pressure. coming from the White House for Israel. not to go into Rafa it was just. considered way too risky but for the. Israelis you know they were saying the. last battalions of Hamas are there many. hostages are there and without taking. control of that area the Israelis felt. they wouldn't have accomplished. anything so in the end they did begin to. move into the Eastern part of Rafa but.

then as the Israelis were operating in. eastern Rafa with their tanks and ground. troops the Israelis on May the 26th. carried out a strike an air. strike this was an attack meant to. Target Two Hamas. operatives and they did in fact strike. those two operatives and kill them with. with what they said were the smallest.

missiles that their Jets could. carry unfortunately that strike then set. off an absolutely devastating fire. because where the area the strike took. place in is right by a camp of makeshift. shacks and Tents where hundreds or. thousands of Palestinians were. Sheltering this fire ripped through the. tents and and ended up killing 40 five.

civilians according to the Garen Health. authorities and it was exactly the kind. of disaster that everybody had feared if. Israel were to operate in this crowded. Southern Dusty Border. [Music]. Town which presumably put a lot more. pressure on the Biden White House to do. something about this war that's right. now we know that the White House the. Biden Administration would very much.

like to see this war come to an end as. soon as possible and then on Friday good. afternoon before I begin my remarks. President Biden gives a speech and. surprisingly now to another issue this. speech when it turned to the Israel. Hamas war was not about Rafa in fact it. was something totally different much.

bigger Israel has now offered Israel has. offered a comprehensive new proposal. it's a road map to an enduring ceas fire. and the release of all. hostages what President Biden described. as the outline of an Israeli proposal. for a ceasefire truce and hostage. release deal with Hamas that would end. the war this proposal been transmitted.

by cutter to. Hamas today I want to lay out his terms. for the American citizens and for the. [Music]. world and Isabelle what did he mean. exactly by the Israeli proposal well. there's been a lot of smoke and mirrors. around this whole process of talks and. negotiations between Israel and Hamas. and in fact the last time we saw a.

negotiation actually result in a. temporary ceasefire and a partial. hostage release was at the end of last. November but in fact there had been this. on again off again attempt at getting. negotiations back on track over the last. few. weeks and it soon came to light that. this was the latest Israeli proposal. that was apparently present Ed and this.

proposal it turns out was unanimously. approved as a basis for the negotiation. by Israel's war cabinet and here is an. American president spelling out this. previously undisclosed Israeli position. on television absolutely and the Israeli. public knew nothing about. this so what does Biden actually say. what does he say in this proposal okay.

well what he says this new proposal has. three phases three he presents it as a. deal in three phases which is generally. in line with all the previous plans of. the last few months and the first phase. would involve a six- week temporary. ceasefire during which a certain number. of hostages including women the elderly. the wounded and the most vulnerable ones. there are American hostages who would be.

released at this stage and we want them. home would be exchanged for hundreds of. Palestinian prisoners in Israeli. jails and Israeli forces would be. withdrawing from population centers. within the Gaza street with 600 trucks. carrying Aid in the Gaza every single. day humanitarian Aid would be flowing at. a much greater level and generally the. beginning of a change in atmosphere and.

climate so this seems in some ways like. the temporary ceasefire in November. right women and children vulnerable. hostages a cease in hostilities for 6. weeks what about phase two well here we. get to the crucial part because during. phase one the sides are supposed to. start negotiating phase two now I'll be. straight with you there are a number of.

details to negotiate to move from phase. one to phase two and phase two is. supposed to culminate in all remaining. living hostages released and exchanged. again for many more Palestinian. prisoners from Israeli. jails this would involve also the. withdrawal of Israeli troops from the. Gaza Strip and in his speech President.

Biden does say that as long as Hamas. lives up to its commitments the. temporary ceasefire would become in the. words of the Israeli. proposal the cessation of hostilities. permanently essentially meaning the end. of the war so Biden is actually talking. about the end of the war like he's. saying that out loud which is not. something we've been hearing from Israel. at all at least publicly.

on the contrary in fact our colleagues. wrote a story at the end of last week. when one senior Israeli official said. the war would last until at least the. end of the year so this is something. very new absolutely and then we get to. phase three because there's a third. phase to this plan and that is moving. ahead already to the day after the war. um which has been kept very vague by the. Israelis up to now and the phase that. president Biden outlined was essentially.

just for a major reconstruction plan for. Gaza that's the offer that's now on the. table and what we've been asking for. it's what we need so the president is. saying that this is a deal that should. be accepted that uh meets the. requirements of both sides that can. point to a path forward and he makes a. couple of points to bolster that the. people of Israel should know they can.

make this offer without any further risk. to their own security because they've. devastated Hamas for forces one of which. is that in his view Hamas has already. been uh sufficiently degraded and and. devastated to the point where as. President Biden puts it Hamas is no. longer capable of carrying out another. October the 7th in other words that goal. of you know total vict. that Netanyahu talks about Biden is.

actually saying they've accomplished it. the Israelis have accomplished it not. really actually he takes on Netanyahu on. the total Victory slogan indefinite war. in pursuit of an unidentified notion of. total Victory will not bring Israel and. will not bring down bog down will only. bog down Israel in Gaza draining the. economic military and human and human. resources and furthering is is's. isolation in the world and says that.

total Victory is a kind of nebulous and. unrealistic goal that would basically. mean indefinite War because what does. total Victory mean you can't kill every. last Hamas operative and even if you did. presumably there would be many more. Palestinians who would come to replace. them and in a way he's using this speech. to go over the head head of Netanyahu.

and go straight to the Israeli people. and present them with these terms to in. a way Corner Netanyahu but also to put. down the gauntlet to Hamas and say here. are the terms they sound very like the. terms Hamas was asking for and putting. Hamas equally on the spot to come back. to the table even though Israel is still. fighting in. Rafa it's time to began this new stage.

for the hostages to come home for Israel. to be secure for the suffering to stop. it's time for this war to. end for the day after to. begin thank you very. much so Biden is essentially saying here. listen Israel you have won the war. effectively like Hamas is degraded now. it's time to accept the ceasefire deal.

that you yourself have. designed what was the reaction inside. Israel the initial reaction took a while. to come because President Biden made his. speech and it landed at about 8:30 in. the evening on Friday Israel time and. this is the time where many many. families are sitting around their. Sabbath dinner table as I was with with. my family and friends not watching the.

news not looking at phones for the most. part observant Jews have actually. switched off for the Sabbath and aren't. going to hear any news until Saturday. night and as the news did begin to. trickle out it really shook Israel up. and this leaves Netanyahu in a great. bind because for months he's really been. playing for time and juggling competing. interests and really not having to make.

a decision one way or the other on what. comes. next we've been hearing that rafath is. really the last stronghold of Hamas and. this is something the military has to do. but after that there was just a kind of. void and no news on the hostages or a. ceas fire or a deal on the.

horizon and so when this speech was made. suddenly it shook up everything and. Netanyahu is suddenly facing a very. crucial. [Music]. Choice we'll be right back. [Music].

so Isabel you said that this is a very. important moment for Netanyahu that now. he really is facing a choice what does. he do what does he come out and say so. his office actually put out a. statement and his first response was. that Israel is sticking to its. objectives. the destruction of hamas's military and.

governing capabilities and he said the. actual proposal put forward by Israel. would allow Israel to uphold these. principles now this was a slightly. ambiguous response that you could pass. in different ways he wasn't exactly. denying that this was an Israeli. proposal and indeed we quickly learned. that in fact Israel's war cabinet had. unanimously voted on. the general outlines of what President.

Biden had presented he wasn't denying it. but the one thing missing from that. statement was this declaration we'd been. hearing for months on end that the war. wouldn't end until there was total. victory that had gone so total Victory. had gone which is a difference which. means potentially the war goals have. shifted a little bit well the way he. articulated it is is talking about the.

degradation or dismantling of hamas's. capabilities as opposed to talking about. the total elimination of Hamas as a. movement and then he followed up his. office put out another statement on. Saturday also still during the Sabbath. which was a little stronger he said. under the proposal Israel would insist. on its conditions being met these same. War object. before a permanent ceasefire is put in.

place and that any suggestion that. Israel would agree to that permanent. ceasefire before the conditions are met. would be a. nonstarter but again you know it was. kind of conditional and could be. interpreted in different ways at what. point does one declare that the. capabilities have been dismantled or. sufficiently degraded so it left a lot. of room for.

maneuver and so what is Netanyahu up to. here Isabelle I think he's trying to. balance all these competing sides he's. seems to be trying not to torpedo the. chances of this deal but at the same. time to be able to hang on politically. when he has a very serious challenge. looming within his government should. this deal go ahead so tell me about that.

challenge Israel's government is formed. of a coalition of parties Netanyahu Le. could is the main party but uh it. totally relies for its majority in. Parliament on its Partners in the. Coalition and they include Two ultra. Orthodox parties and two far-right. parties and the far right parties have. both come out explicitly saying that.

should this deal as outlined by. President Biden go ahead they will not. be party to it so Netanyahu faces this. real political Danger on his right. that's right so there are the leaders of. these two right-wing parties who he. relies on for his coalition government. he relies on them for his majority in. Parliament and the leaders of those. parties are itamar benier who's the.

national security minister and bit salel. smotrich who is currently the Finance. Minister now neither of these parties. nor their leaders are sitting in the. much more tight and small War cabinet. that actually overseas and directs and. makes the decisions on the course of the. war in Gaza they would were seen as way. too extreme to be part of that Forum.

that forum is much more reflective of. the national consensus but these parties. are part of the broader. government and they have threatened not. only to oppose the deal as outlined by. President Biden should it go ahead but. they have actually vowed if it does go. ahead they would withdraw their support. to Netanyahu and bring his government. down. and if his government were to collapse.

as a result he would then be facing a. new election now he has been trying to. Stave off the end of the war and the. prospect of new elections ever since. October the 7th because then he's in. danger of facing that public Reckoning. for the perceived failures the the. government's policy failures the. military's failures intelligence. failures leading up to the Hamas Le.

attack of October the 7th but we really. might be getting to crunch time when it. comes to his political Lifeline here so. this is a pretty dramatic moment for. Netanyahu then right I mean he's under. tremendous pressure from Biden his. biggest Ally Biden's basically asking. him to choose between this deal which. means the end of the war something his. Coalition Partners these hard right guys. really don't want and his own power.

essentially right Staying Alive. politically or the end of the war and. the hostages coming home that is a very. Stark Choice absolutely and then there. are other choices that he has to weigh. because you know Israel has been. increasingly isolated and under. International censure for its. prosecution of the war in Gaza Netanyahu. himself is facing the prospect of. possible arrest warrants being put out.

against him from the international. criminal court in the ha Israel is in. the dock on a genocide case in the. international court of justice in the ha. so should he go ahead with this deal he. has been offered sweeteners like an. invitation to address Congress and this. would in a way be a way of bringing him. back into the. fold so Isabel s Netanyahu approves this.

proposal How likely is it that the. right-wing you know smotrich and benir. actually do leave the government I mean. they would be giving up power too no. they would and if we look at all the. opinion polls being done in Israel in. the last few months but salel smutr and. his religious Zionism party for one. would barely scrape back into parliament. in another election and therefore.

there's a lot at stake for him too and. for itar BV because if the next. government that's formed is not going to. be a right-wing and farri government he. would find himself out of power too but. Isabel let's say they do leave what. happens in that. scenario well the assumption is that the. government would collapse it would lose. its majority and naturally the knesset. would vote to dissolve itself and set a.

date for a new election which would have. to come within five months and during. that period this government would turn. into a caretaker government now usually. a caretaker government that's a. transitional one in that period before. elections isn't supposed to make. dramatic decisions for the country but. you know being a caretaker govern during. wartime this puts Israel in Uncharted.

political territory then theoretically. if we were to ask could such a. government even approve a deal once it. had been. negotiated even without the support of. those far-right parties apparently there. would still be enough in favor to see it. through interesting so it seems like. there are a lot of possibilities for how. this could go but it does in a way rely.

on Netanyahu deciding what Israel's. course will be and it seems like he. probably needs to land on one of these. options what do you think he's going to. do well it might not end up being black. and white take the deal or not take the. deal we might end up seeing something in. between because you know I think. Netanyahu who is facing huge public. pressure to bring back those hostages.

who still are alive would definitely. want to move ahead with at least that. first part of the deal that would see a. six- week temporary ceasefire in return. for the most vulnerable hostages and. then you get into the much trickier part. of that negotiation for the next stage. which would involve essentially ending. the war and it could be that you know we.

might see Netanyahu wanting to proceed. with this deal but only partially and. then get to a point where it can't go. further and Netanyahu is probably very. keenly aware of the American political. timetable there are Skeptics here who. say that by Labor Day all the American. attention is going going to be focused. on America's own internal politics.

running up to the November elections and. that Netanyahu basically just has to. survive another 90 days to get to that. point at which point the pressure. subsides so this is a scenario in which. he just basically runs out the clock he. keeps on that tight RPP that's a. possibility absolutely and one that he. would be very Adept at doing if the past. is anything to go by okay so there are a.

number of ways Netanyahu could actually. handle this how should we think about. what Biden has really accomplished here. well I think it's hard to say that one. speech is going to change the course or. the outcome of this war but it certainly. has crystallized the issues and brought. them out into the light after months and. months of murkiness that Netanyahu was. able to in a way hide behind and operate.

within and I think now he's in the. spotlight and assuming that Hamas is. willing to accept and go along with this. negotiation for this. proposal the Israeli Public's. expectations have certainly been risen. now toward a. deal and all eyes are now on Netanyahu. to see which way he will.

[Music]. go Isabelle thank you thank you so. [Music]. much in an interview with Time Magazine. published on Tuesday Biden was asked. whether Netanyahu was prolonging the war. in Gaza in an effort to hold on to. office Biden said quote there is every. reason for people to draw that.

[Music]. conclusion we'll be right. back here's what else you should know. today on Tuesday Republican lawmakers in. Arizona voted to put a ballot measure. before voters in November that would. make unlawfully crossing the border from. Mexico a crime in the state the move.

would put the Border crisis directly. onto the ballot in a key swing state. potentially firing up anti-immigration. conservative voters it is similar to a. law passed in Texas earlier this year. currently held up in court after it was. challenged by the Biden. Administration. and the results of a major election in. India have been tallied and they are. deeply disappointing for India's prime.

minister Narendra Modi Modi appeared to. have secured a third consecutive term in. office however his BJP party did not. deliver the landslide Victory it had. promised and even lost its majority in. Parliament now Modi and the BJP must. come to an agreement with other parties. in order to form a coalition government. in India's parliamentary system. [Music].

today's episode was produced by Will. Reed Eric krupy and Sydney Harper it was. edited by Brendan clingen Berg and. Michael benoa contains original music by. Marian Lozano Diane Wong Dan Powell and. Rowan neimo and was engineered by Chris. Wood our theme music is by Jim brunberg. and Ben Lanser of wonderly. [Music].

that's it for the daily I'm Sabrina. tavernes see you tomorrow. [Music].