JERUSALEM, Israel – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Israel's experience this past week after the murder of six hostages, including American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin as days of horror, sorrow, and rage.
In a sometimes emotional press conference Wednesday, Netanyahu said he's willing to negotiate to free the hostages, but making concessions to Hamas is a non-starter.
"I'm willing to make a deal. I made one already, one that brought back 150 hostages, 117 alive," he stated. "And I'm committed to return the remaining 101. I'll do everything I can to get them in. But leaving Philadelphi (Corridor) does not advance the release of the hostages."
The prime minister explained in detail Israel's history with Gaza and the Philadelphi Corridor over decades. The corridor between the Gaza Strip and Egypt has been Hamas' lifeline for war, yet Netanyahu is under tremendous pressure to leave it.
He claimed he was already willing to make a deal in May, and again in August, but Hamas refused. By his reckoning, the only thing that changed was the Hamas murder of Israeli hostages.
"Now, the world will seriously demand that Israel make concessions after this massacre. What message does that send to Hamas?" he asked. "I'll tell you what the message is: murder more hostages, you'll get more concessions. That's not only illogical. It's not only immoral, it's downright insane."
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The Israel Defense Forces released footage showing that the shaft leading to the tunnel where the bodies of the six hostages were found was through a children's play area with Disney characters on the wall and stuffed animals.
Thousands of Israeli protesters have taken to the streets demanding a hostage deal. Netanyahu insists that's part of Hamas' plan to sow discord.
Pointing to a greatly enlarged document, Netanyahu said, "This is Hamas' orders for psychological warfare, found in Hamas underground command post on January 29th – that's right after the beginning of the war."
He continued by reading excerpts from the document originally written in Arabic.
"Push photos and videos of hostages," the prime minister read. "Put it out in the media, because that creates enormous psychological pressure. Who's not affected by it? Second: Increase psychological pressure on defense minister. Third: Continue blaming Netanyahu. And fourth: Claim ground operations will not release hostages."
Jeff Ballabon from the American Center for Law and Justice believes Israelis behave more like a family to one another, with all the emotion and bickering, rather than a country.
"Since October 7, the predominant emotion in this family is anguish, and there is no real way to process or end that feeling – inflamed once again by the murder of the hostages – anguish left unresolved becomes anger," Ballabon told CBN News. "Angry people are easy to manipulate; they want someone to blame, and the easiest way is to give them a scapegoat, so the Left and the media are cahooting with the Democrats to try to blame Bibi instead of the actual perpetrators."
Ballabon contends the American Left and the media have played a part in Israel's discord.
"The other factor has been the weaponization of the minority and the media by the current U.S. administration," he said. "Indeed, the Democrats since Obama/Biden have been pushing to topple Netanyahu, including evidence that they and their proxies are financing and advising the anti-Netanyahu efforts and demonstrations, since October."
Ballabon added, "They have relentlessly tried to use Israel's tragedy to push their agenda. It's backfiring. The loud minority trumpets the break between the U.S. and Israel, but it actually strengthens Netanyahu with the majority of Israelis, including those who for other reasons are very critical of him."
In an interview with CBN News, Israel's United Nations Ambassador Danny Danon asserted Israel must be strong to go forward.
"We live in a very tough neighborhood," he declared. "We have to be strong. We have to project our strength. That is why at the end of the war, Hamas will not be in Gaza. We will send a message to our enemies that we will fight back. We are determined to stay where we are and to build our beautiful nation."
Danon believes the strong ties between Israel and the U.S. will remain.
"The strength of the bond between Israel and the U.S. is based on values," he said. "That is why the bond will stay strong. We share with them values of freedom, democracy. We are fighting evil. The forces that are fighting us today will fight the U.S. tomorrow. We thank the U.S. for standing with Israel and we believe that with God’s help, we will prevail."
Meanwhile, Hezbollah has ramped up its rocket fire in the north, launching more than 100 projectiles in the past 36 hours.
Click below to watch the Netanyahu press conference from September 4, 2024
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