It Could Happen Here - The Latest Peace Deal, Part 1

Episode Date: June 13, 2024

Shereen explains the most recent US proposed peace deal for Hamas and Israel and the events leading up to its announcement.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Starting point is 00:00:36 Hi, I'm Ed Zitron, host of the Better Offline Podcast, and we're kicking off our second season digging into Tech's elite and how they've turned Silicon Valley into a playground for billionaires. From the chaotic world of generative AI to the destruction of Google search, Better Offline is your unvarnished and at times unhinged look at the underbelly of tech brought to you by an industry veteran with nothing to lose. Listen to Better Offline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever else you get your podcasts from. on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever else you get your podcasts from. On Thanksgiving Day, 1999, five-year-old Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez was found off the coast of Florida. And the question was, should the boy go back to his father in Cuba? Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home and he wanted to take his son with him. Or stay with his relatives in Miami.
Starting point is 00:01:25 Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. Listen to Chess Peace, the Elian Gonzalez story, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello and welcome to It could happen here this is shereen and today we are going to be talking about the current quote-unquote peace plan that was presented by the u.s and what they say is their attempt to end the genocide in russia they call it a war and i call it what it is which is a genocide earlier this month joe Joe Biden announced what he claimed was an Israeli peace plan to bring about an eventual ceasefire in Gaza. But according to journalists and anyone with eyes, the new plan is almost indistinguishable from previous plans proposed by Hamas. We're going to get into the details of the U.S. plan in a little bit, but first I want to address the immense loss of Palestinian life that has led up to this plan. Because if the plan is successful, it would usher
Starting point is 00:02:31 in a ceasefire to a genocide that has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, which is a very low estimate, and the majority of these deaths are women and children. Not only have Palestinian children been brutally slaughtered for months, but Gaza now has the largest population of child amputees in the world. In November, children in Gaza hosted a press conference, in English, to beg the world for life. It's June now, and all we've seen since then is massacre after massacre. And while I think drawing attention to the children and the women who have been slaughtered is immensely necessary and important, I also want to emphasize that Palestinian men are not expendable,
Starting point is 00:03:13 and not mentioning the immense loss that we have suffered across the board with men included implies to the world that Arab men are not worth mourning, not worth saving nor protecting, men are not worth mourning, not worth saving nor protecting. That they are all terrorists or terrorists to be, who are simply killed as casualties in the quote fog of war. I also think that the mention of children is specifically used as a way to at least try to make the world empathize and fucking feel something about the lives that have been stolen. Parents literally hold up the limp and decapitated bodies of their babies, and it's broadcast worldwide. And yet the dehumanization of Arabs runs so deep that such graphic displays of horror and death are considered normal. No one bats an eye. It is insane that 274 Palestinians were slaughtered for four prisoners of war who could have been released in a prisoner exchange, exchanges and deals that Israel has repeatedly rejected.
Starting point is 00:04:12 We will get into this more in this episode. And people are celebrating this shameful military operation, which U.S. troops were a part of, and ignoring the Palestinians that were killed and murdered in the process. Further emphasizing that Palestinian life is not as important as Israeli life, by a huge margin. And in case you didn't hear the details about this operation that I'm talking about, U.S. and Israeli troops infiltrated a refugee camp in trucks disguised as humanitarian aid to Trojan horse their way into further massacring and maiming people who were already being forcibly starved. Are you hearing this? One more time. They infiltrated a refugee camp in trucks disguised as humanitarian aid.
Starting point is 00:04:59 Israeli special forces were also disguised as Palestinian refugees looking for a place to live when they entered the buildings where they thought the hostages were being held. Remember in January when there was also video evidence of the IOF pretending to be medical staff in a hospital and then shooting and killing unarmed doctors, nurses, and patients? Oh, and then there was the discovery of at least three mass graves at El Shifa Hospital where bodies including many wearing scrubs were found zip-tied and buried in piles. Israel has been doing this for months and years and decades, and they've been getting away with it for months and years and decades.
Starting point is 00:05:39 No one is hiding how they feel anymore. They are out here showing us with their actions. It's not ambiguous. It is not confusing. They are out here showing us with their actions. It's not ambiguous. It is not confusing. They are making it very simple. They are making it crystal clear. Palestinians do not matter. And Israel's intention is to continue their ethnic cleansing of Palestine. What's happening in Gaza is not about the hostages, and it has never been about the hostages. If that isn't clear to you by now, you have not been paying attention. A few things about the hostages. Hamas has
Starting point is 00:06:12 repeatedly offered since last year to release all hostages in exchange for Israel releasing all Palestinian prisoners. As of November 1st, according to Human Rights Watch, Israel held nearly 7,000 Palestinians in its prisons, and many of those held captive by Israel are not convicted of any crime. At least 3,660 Palestinians being held in Israel are under what is called administrative detention. An administrative detainee is someone held in prison without charge nor trial. Without charge. No crime committed.
Starting point is 00:06:53 I want to take a moment to bring up a report that came out recently that's not getting nearly enough attention. It's truly horrific, and I don't know how people are just glossing over it. But the New York Times recently reported that Palestinians are being tortured and abused in Israeli prisons. Two journalists from the New York Times spent three months interviewing Israeli soldiers as well as Palestinians who were detained at one particular prison. I'm not going to pretend I know how to pronounce it. It's spelled S-D-E space T-E-I-M-A-N, Sed Teman. I'm just going to go with that. But essentially, Israel is carrying out a policy of systematic torture in this army base.
Starting point is 00:07:27 And this army base has been used as a detention camp for Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. This was all confirmed by a New York Times investigation. Reports of abuse at this site had already emerged in both Israeli and Arab media. And this was followed by outcries from local and international rights groups about the horrific conditions there. Apparently, it was mainly used as a, quote, makeshift interrogation center, but now it has become a major focus for the accusations that the Israeli military has mistreated its detainees, including people who were later determined to have no ties to Hamas or any other armed groups. The investigation revealed that at
Starting point is 00:08:06 least 1,200 Palestinian civilians were detained at this site in, quote, demeaning conditions without the ability to plead their cases to a judge for up to 75 days and additionally denied access to lawyers for up to 90 days. Eight former detainees, all of whom the military confirmed were held at the site and spoke on the record, said they had been punched, kicked, and beaten with batons, rifle butts, and a handheld metal detector while they were in custody. Others said that they had been forced to wear a diaper while being interrogated, and that they had received electric shocks during their interrogation. According to the New York Times, most of these testimonies were corroborated by interviews conducted by officials from the UNRWA, the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees. The agency interviewed hundreds of returning detainees who reported
Starting point is 00:08:56 widespread abuse at this site, as well as other Israeli detention facilities, including the beatings and the use of an electric probe. An Israeli soldier who served at this site also disclosed to the New York Times that his fellow soldiers often bragged about beating detainees, and he observed many instances of such treatment. He was speaking on condition of anonymity to avoid prosecution, but he said a detainee had been taken for treatment at the site's makeshift field hospital with a bone that had been broken during his detention, while another person was briefly taken out of sight and then returned with bleeding around his ribcage. I strongly urge you to read the New York Times piece in full.
Starting point is 00:09:37 It details the most horrific things I've read in recent memory. I would be remiss to not mention at least a few of them just so you understand the severity, but this report essentially proves that Palestinians are experiencing sexual violence and have experienced sexual violence in Israeli prisons. This is one example. Mr. El Hamlawi, a senior nurse, said a female officer had ordered two soldiers to lift him up and press his rectum against a metal stick that was fixed to the ground. He said the stick penetrated his rectum for roughly five seconds, causing it to bleed and leaving him in unbearable pain. A leaked draft of the UNRWA report detailed an interview that gave a similar account. of the UNRWA report, detailed an interview that gave a similar account. It cited a 41-year-old detainee who said that interrogators made him sit on something like a hot metal stick
Starting point is 00:10:31 that felt like fire, and he said that another detainee died after they put the electric stick up his anus. Dr. Al-Hamlawi also recalled being forced to sit in a chair wired with electricity. Amnawi also recalled being forced to sit in a chair wired with electricity. He said he was shocked so often that after initially urinating uncontrollably, he then stopped urinating for several days. He said that he, too, had been forced to wear nothing but a diaper to stop him from soiling the floor. Ibrahim Shaheen, 38, a truck driver. He said he was shocked roughly half a dozen times while sitting
Starting point is 00:11:05 in a chair. Officers had accused him of concealing information about the location of dead hostages, which ended up having no connection to him at all. Another man, Mr. Beckett, said that he was also forced to sit in a chair wired with electricity, sending a current pulsing through his body that made him pass out. Mr. Beckett also said, along with other detainees that corroborated this, he only received roughly three meager snacks on most days, mostly bread with small quantities of cheese or jam or tuna. The military said the food provisions had been approved by an authorized nutritionist in order to maintain their health.
Starting point is 00:11:44 But according to several of these detainees, that's not nearly enough, and they lost more than 40 pounds during their detention. Again, I urge you to read the report in full. It needs more attention than it is getting, but it is horrific, and this is proof of the vile mistreatment of Palestinians. And it's from the New York Times. If you need a source that you quote unquote trust more than Al Jazeera or something, which makes no sense. But for those who do, there it is. Hey, guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs,
Starting point is 00:12:32 the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. You know that rush of endorphins you feel after a great workout? Well, that's when the real magic happens. So if you love hearing real, inspiring stories from the people you know, follow, and admire, join me every week for Post Run High. It's where we take the conversation beyond the run and get into the heart of it all. It's lighthearted, pretty crazy, and very fun. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Starting point is 00:13:20 Hi, I'm Ed Zitron, host of the Better Offline podcast, and we're kicking off our second season digging into how tech's elite has turned Silicon Valley into a playground for billionaires. From the chaotic world of generative AI to the destruction of Google search, Better Offline is your unvarnished and at times unhinged look at the underbelly of tech from an industry veteran with nothing to lose. and with nothing to lose. This season, I'm going to be joined by everyone from Nobel-winning economists to leading journalists in the field. And I'll be digging into why the products you love keep getting worse and naming and shaming those responsible.
Starting point is 00:13:52 Don't get me wrong, though. I love technology. I just hate the people in charge and want them to get back to building things that actually do things to help real people. I swear to God, things can change if we're loud enough. So join me every week to understand what's happening in the tech industry and what could be done to make real people. I swear to God, things can change if we're loud enough. So join me every week to understand
Starting point is 00:14:05 what's happening in the tech industry and what could be done to make things better. Listen to Better Offline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever else
Starting point is 00:14:13 you get your podcasts. Check out betteroffline.com. On Thanksgiving Day, 1999, a five-year-old boy floated alone in the ocean. He had lost his mother trying to reach Florida from Cuba. He looked like a little angel. I mean, he looked so fresh. And his name, Elian Gonzalez, will make headlines everywhere.
Starting point is 00:14:37 Elian Gonzalez. Elian Gonzalez. Elian. Elian. Elian Gonzalez. At the heart of the story is a young boy and the question of who he belongs with. His father in Cuba. Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home and he wanted to take his son with him.
Starting point is 00:14:53 Or his relatives in Miami. Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. At the heart of it all is still this painful family separation. Something that as a Cuban, I know all too well. Listen to Chess Peace, the Elian Gonzalez story, as part of the My Cultura podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Now, let's go back to the topic at hand. We were talking about the hostages and how Hamas had offered many times in the past to release all the hostages in exchange for releasing Palestinian prisoners. And despite Hamas's offers, Israel has never agreed to any deal which involves the release of all Israeli hostages. On October 9th, two days after October 7th, Hamas offered to release all the civilian hostages
Starting point is 00:15:53 in exchange for the IOF not entering the Gaza Strip. But Israel rejected that offer, and many hostages have died since then, which could have been avoided if Israel cared. A few stats. 105 Israeli hostages were freed via a temporary ceasefire in November of last year. Four other hostages were released by Hamas. Three hostages were killed by IOF, quote, friendly fire, because the IOF considered them a threat as they were waving white flags. During four Israeli quote rescue missions, one hostage was killed, one soldier was saved. In what Israel called Operation Golden Hand on February 12th of this year, two hostages were saved and at least 94 Palestinians were killed. And then on June 8th, what is now being called Operation Arnon,
Starting point is 00:16:46 four Israeli hostages were rescued and at least 274 Palestinians were killed. In a statement released after the attack, Hamas said, in exchange for them, the four Israeli hostages, your own army killed three of your own captives in the same attack, one of them holding a U.S. citizenship. And it must be mentioned that the Israeli attacks on Gaza have also killed an unknown number of hostages in Hamas captivity, as well as the at least 37,000 Palestinians killed since October 7th. Relentlessly bombing a tiny strip of land where Israel knows its hostages are located doesn't really indicate that Israel gives a shit about the lives of the hostages. The hostages are pawns being used in a disgusting political game.
Starting point is 00:17:35 And I have seen several unhinged and deranged comments about this latest operation, which again killed 274 Palestinians, including children, in the process of saving four hostages. The comments range in severity and psychopathy, but a lot of them are basically saying, how else were they supposed to get the hostages back? And Israel must rescue its people by any means necessary, and that this is what you get when you mess with Israel. But after reading the previous numbers, it is an absolute fact that the only mass release of hostages has come through ceasefire and prisoner exchanges. More hostages have been killed by the Israeli army than rescued by them. A ceasefire deal means freed hostages
Starting point is 00:18:18 without mass death. And so if Israel really cared about the lives of these hostages, why on earth wouldn't they agree to a deal that can guarantee their safety? I want to take a quick tangent only to mention that the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza is most likely far, far greater than the reported number, because the infrastructure that was used to document the death toll has been decimated, along with nearly everything else in Gaza. to document the death toll has been decimated, along with nearly everything else in Gaza. The number 37,000 also does not include the thousands and thousands of Palestinians buried underneath rubble who are unable to be found nor retrieved. The health ministry's director of international cooperation in the West Bank, Dr. Yasser Bozia, says he works closely with ministry colleagues in Gaza. When he spoke with NPR in late January from his office in Ramallah,
Starting point is 00:19:14 he said an estimated 10,000 people were missing and presumed dead under the rubble in Gaza. But even that number was low. It's like a snowball, he said. It's only an estimation. The actual number is much, much higher. Bozia and doctors in Gaza say the death count published by the health ministry also largely excludes people who have died from a lack of adequate treatment, disease, and other impacts from the war, like hunger. The death toll only includes people killed by the, quote, occupation bombardment, he said. The health
Starting point is 00:19:42 ministry describes its casualty figures as those resulting from Israeli aggression. Bozias has a colleague in Gaza told him that the only way to really know how many people have died is to count the number of people still alive compared with the population of Gaza before October 7th. He said that because of the continued brutal genocide going on in Gaza, it is impossible to have the real number. It will only be revealed after the violence has stopped. The death toll also does not make clear how many militants are among the dead. Israel says its forces have killed more than 10,000 fighters in Gaza, but Israel has also not provided any sort of evidence or detailed
Starting point is 00:20:23 information to back up its estimate. In every interview every Israeli correspondent or spokesperson has given, they always give a number for the estimated fighters or terrorists killed in Gaza, but they're very unsure about how many civilians have been killed. And now to go back to the U.S. peace plan that is basically identical to previous peace plans proposed by and agreed to by Hamas. What does this U.S. plan propose? This plan has three stages. The first stage proposes to involve a six-week ceasefire during which the Israeli army will withdraw from the populated areas of
Starting point is 00:20:58 Gaza. Hostages, including the elderly and women, would be exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Civilians would also return to all of Gaza, with 600 trucks carrying humanitarian aid flooding the enclave daily, Biden said. The second phase would see Hamas and Israel negotiate terms for a permanent end to hostilities. Biden said, the ceasefire phase, a permanent ceasefire would follow, facilitating the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, including 60% of clinics, schools, universities, and religious buildings damaged or destroyed by Israeli forces. This plan is nearly identical to a previous plan that Hamas had already agreed to on May 6th, a deal which Israel ended up rejecting. We will talk more about that deal later on, but for now, let's focus on the U.S.'s plagiarized version of this plan and who supports it. But first, let's take an ad break, and we'll be right back.
Starting point is 00:22:10 to take an ad break and we'll be right back. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast Post Run High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. You know that rush of endorphins you feel after a great workout? Well, that's when the real magic happens. So if you love hearing real, the real magic happens. So if you love hearing real inspiring stories from the people you know, follow and admire, join me every week for post run high. It's where we take the conversation beyond the run and get into the heart of it all. It's lighthearted, pretty crazy and very fun.
Starting point is 00:23:00 Listen to post run high on the I heart radio Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Ed Zitron, host of the Better Offline podcast, and we're kicking off our second season digging into how tech's elite has turned Silicon Valley into a playground for billionaires. From the chaotic world of generative AI to the destruction of Google search, Better Offline is your unvarnished and at times unhinged look at the underbelly of tech from an industry veteran with nothing to lose. This season, I'm going to be joined by everyone from Nobel-winning economists
Starting point is 00:23:32 to leading journalists in the field, and I'll be digging into why the products you love keep getting worse and naming and shaming those responsible. Don't get me wrong, though. I love technology. I just hate the people in charge and want them to get back to building things that actually do things to help real people.
Starting point is 00:23:48 I swear to God things can change if we're loud enough. So join me every week to understand what's happening in the tech industry and what could be done to make things better. Listen to Better Offline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever else you get your podcasts. Check out betteroffline.com. wherever else you get your podcasts. Check out betteroffline.com. On Thanksgiving Day, 1999, a five-year-old boy floated alone in the ocean.
Starting point is 00:24:16 He had lost his mother trying to reach Florida from Cuba. He looked like a little angel. I mean, he looked so fresh. And his name, Elian Gonzalez, will make headlines everywhere. Elian Gonzalez. Elian Gonzalez. Elian Gonzalez. Elian. Elian. Elian Gonzalez, will make headlines everywhere. Elian Gonzalez. Elian Gonzalez. Elian. Elian.
Starting point is 00:24:27 Elian Gonzalez. At the heart of the story is a young boy and the question of who he belongs with. His father in Cuba. Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home and he wanted to take his son with him. Or his relatives in Miami. Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. At the heart of it all is still this painful family separation. Something that as a Cuban, I know all too well.
Starting point is 00:24:55 Listen to Chess Peace, the Elian Gonzalez story, as part of the My Cultura podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. OK, and we are back. So soon after the announcement of the U.S. deal, Hamas said that it views the proposals in this deal positively. the proposals in this deal positively. This week, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken arrived in the Middle East on his latest trip to the region, which he said will focus on Washington's Gaza truce proposal and the future of the Palestinian territory. Blinken met Egyptian President el-Sisi in Cairo on Monday, repeating U.S. calls for Hamas to accept the truce deal. repeating U.S. calls for Hamas to accept the truce deal.
Starting point is 00:25:46 Speaking to reporters before leaving Egypt, Blinken squarely blamed Hamas for prolonging the quote-unquote war, saying that Hamas is an outlier in the region for not agreeing to the U.S. deal. He told reporters, My message to governments throughout the region, to people throughout the region, if you want a ceasefire, press Hamas to say yes. Blinken arrived in Israel later on that same day and met with Netanyahu. He will further hold talks in Qatar and Jordan this week. The State Department said Blinken reaffirmed the quote, ironclad U.S. commitment to Israel's security during his meeting with Netanyahu.
Starting point is 00:26:24 A curious note is that while Blinken portrayed the truce plan as Biden's proposal, when Biden made the deal public initially, he said it was an Israeli plan. This could be just a little slip because Biden is very old, or it could be a slip that just confirms what we've all known to be the case all along, that the U.S. and Israel are one and the same, especially when it comes to their political interests and military power. And while U.S. officials have insisted that Israel agree to this proposal, various Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, have vowed to continue fighting until the elimination of Hamas.
Starting point is 00:27:01 Just days before Biden announced his initiative, a top Israeli official said the military would fight in Gaza until at least the end of the year. On the other hand, Hamas has said that it will only agree to a deal that would lead to a lasting end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Hamas reiterated its position on Monday after its political chief Ismail Haniyeh met with officials from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a smaller armed group, in Doha. Hamas said in a statement, The two delegations discussed the indirect negotiations and efforts to end the war, stressing that any agreement must include a permanent ceasefire, complete withdrawal from
Starting point is 00:27:45 the Gaza Strip, reconstruction, ending the siege, and a serious prisoners exchange. Hamas previously called for an explicit commitment from Israel to a lasting ceasefire. And despite the lack of clarity in the Israeli position, Biden administration officials have repeatedly said that Hamas is the only hurdle to ending the war in Gaza. The U.S. blaming Hamas for prolonging what it calls a quote-unquote war, again not a war, a genocide, is ridiculous. Hamas has accepted previous peace deals. It has offered previous peace deals. Israel has been the one to reject them. And then the U.S. comes along and just repackages one of these previously agreed-on deals that Hamas had endorsed and has the audacity to then blame Hamas for obstructing peace. Just give me a break. Additionally, the U.S. truce plan
Starting point is 00:28:39 does not outline plans for the future of Gaza after the war, but the U.S. government has said that it would not accept Hamas' rule in the territory. The Biden administration says it wants a, quote, reformed Palestinian authority, aka the PA, to eventually govern Gaza. But the Israeli government has ruled out allowing the occupied West Bank-based PA to govern Gaza, with Netanyahu likening Fatah, the dominant faction in the PA, to Hamas. Other support for the plan has come from some Israeli politicians, as well as the families of the hostages and the international community. Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel's three-man war cabinet and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's principal rival, spoke positively of the proposal and asked his two colleagues in the war cabinet, Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav
Starting point is 00:29:31 Gallant, to convene to discuss the, quote, next steps. Gantz had previously threatened to leave the cabinet by June 8th if no plan for Gaza beyond the war had been agreed on, and on Sunday, June 9th, he officially announced his resignation. Gantz's resignation does not immediately pose a threat to Netanyahu, who still controls a majority coalition in parliament, but it does mean that the Israeli leader becomes more heavily reliant on his far-right allies. Gantz said that Netanyahu was making, quote, total victory impossible, and that the government needs to put a return of the hostages seized on October 7th by Hamas above political survival. Gantz is a popular former military chief, and he joined Netanyahu's government shortly after the Hamas attack in a show of unity.
Starting point is 00:30:19 His presence also boosted Israel's credibility with its international partners. Gantz has good working relations with U.S. officials. Gantz canceled a planned news conference the night of June 8th, after the four Israeli hostages were rescued from Gaza earlier in the day, which again was Israel's largest operation since October. Another reminder that 274 Palestinians, including children, were killed in the assault. Another Israeli politician who supported the U.S. peace plan was opposition leader Yar Lepid, who also promised to support the plan, pledging support of his party Yesh Atid,
Starting point is 00:30:57 which translates from Hebrew to There is a Future, if those from ultra-nationalists and far-right parties withdraw support. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez also endorsed the plan, as have many of Israel's political allies, including the UK and Germany. So who doesn't like the plan? Much of the opposition to the peace plan has come from within the Israeli cabinet. Netanyahu said any initiative that did not include a, quote, Netanyahu said any initiative that did not include a, quote, elimination of Hamas' capacity to govern and make war was a non-starter. In his announcement on Friday, May 31st, Biden seemed to indicate that he regarded Hamas' presence within Gaza to have been so downgraded that a repeat of October 7th was impossible. possible. As expected, the ultra-nationalists and extreme right members of Netanyahu's right-wing coalition, which includes Itamar Ben-Gavir and Bezalel Simotric, threatened to withdraw from
Starting point is 00:31:51 the government and cause its collapse if the proposals were accepted. So as far as Israel's politics are concerned, it seems like the outcome may end up depending on what Al Jazeera describes as, quote, parliamentary arithmetic. The far right in ultra-nationalist parties hold 14 seats, while Gantz's bloc only has 8 seats, meaning the far right has far more influence on a prime minister who wants to stay in power. As for Lapid, his 17 seats are offered as support only in what pertains to the peace proposals. This leaves Netanyahu reliant on the far-right bloc. As far as the deal being accepted, that is still not clear, despite what the U.S. says. The families of Israeli hostages are putting pressure on the government to accept the deal, as are some parts of Israel's political class. But pressures to reject the deal are just as strong, and it will remain to be seen whether Netanyahu chooses his own survival or the return of the hostages. But if one thing is clear,
Starting point is 00:32:57 it is that Netanyahu does not really care about the hostages, because the IOF under his command continues to bombard areas where the hostages can be held. And may I remind you because the IOF under his command continues to bombard areas where the hostages can be held. And may I remind you that the IOF have already killed Israeli hostages that they have mistakenly identified as threats. Speaking of threats, um, I'm kidding. There is no ad break and there
Starting point is 00:33:17 is no threat. That's the end of part one. And if you want to listen to part two, tune in tomorrow talking about the history of Hamas and how we got here. So yeah, see you then. Free Palestine. It Could Happen Here is a production of Cool Zone Media. For more podcasts from Cool Zone Media, visit our website, coolzonemedia.com, or check us
Starting point is 00:33:41 out on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can find sources for It Could Happen Here updated monthly at coolzonemedia.com slash sources. Thanks for listening. I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast Post Run High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you. On Thanksgiving Day 1999, five-year-old Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez was found off the coast of Florida. And the question was, should the boy go back to his father in Cuba? Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home and he wanted to take his son with him. Or stay with his relatives in Miami?
Starting point is 00:35:18 Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. Listen to Chess Peace, the Elian Gonzalez story, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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