The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | May 16th, 2024: Tempers Flare Within Israel's War Cabinet & Menendez Blames Corruption On Wife

Episode Date: May 16, 2024

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:    Trouble is brewing inside Israel’s war cabinet as senior leaders clash with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a post-war plan for Gaza. We��ll bring you the latest from Senator Bob Menendez’s corruption trial, as his defense pivots to a simple strategy: blame the senator’s wife. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin.  Email: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Come on, get up to 40% off at shopbeam.com slash PDB and use the code PDB. It's Thursday, 16 May. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin. I'm Mike Baker. your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. First, trouble is brewing inside Israel's war cabinet as senior leaders clash with Prime Minister Netanyahu over a post-war plan for Gaza. The Prime Minister is arguing that talk of a post-war plan is putting the horse before the cart, since Hamas is still active and continues to exert governing influence within Gaza. Also,

we'll bring you the latest from Senator Bob Menendez's corruption trial, as his defense pivots to a simple strategy. Blame the senator's wife. Well, that's not very romantic. Someone's going to need couples therapy when this is all over. But first, our afternoon spotlight. Temperes are flaring inside Jerusalem's halls of power as members of the war cabinet engage in a rare public dispute with Prime Minister Netanyahu over a post-war governing plan for Gaza. The Biden administration has intensified pressure on Israel in recent days to establish a long-term strategy for Gaza, particularly as Israel mobilizes its push into Hamas' final stronghold in Rafa. Well, Nanyahu bluntly rejected those calls on Wednesday, saying any discussions about a,

quote, day-after strategy are pointless until Hamas is fully defeated on the battlefield. And that's according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. Nanyahu said, quote, there is no alternative to military victory. The attempt to bypass it with this or that claim is simply detached. from reality." Netanyahu's hardline position triggered a public rebuke from defense minister Yov Ghalent, a member of Israel's three-person war cabinet who held a press conference on Wednesday, admonishing Israeli leaders for failing to outline a concrete post-war strategy. Galant said, quote, since October, I have been raising this issue consistently in the cabinet

and have received no response. The day after Hamas will only be achieved with Palestinian entities is taking control of Gaza, accompanied by international actors, establishing a governing alternative to Hamas' rule. Unfortunately, Ghalens said, the plan was not brought for discussion, and worse, an alternative discussion was not raised in its place, end quote. Benny Gantz, another member of the War Cabinet, and a political rival of Nenjahus, echoed Gowl's concern, saying he was, quote, speaking the truth. The rare public argument during this current conflict highlighted the intense divisions that again.

exist within the upper echelons of Israeli leadership, particularly as the conflict drags on. Gallant added that Netanyahu should, quote, make a decision and declare that Israel will not establish civilian control over the Gaza Strip, that Israel will not establish military governance in the Gaza Strip, and that a governing alternative to Hamas in the Gaza Strip will be raised immediately, end quote. Gallen's remarks led to a number of hard-right members of Netanyahu's governing coalition, calling for the defense minister's resignation or immediate removal. Now, Ghalen and Netanyahu in particular have had a tense relationship in recent years. Gallant publicly criticized Netanyahu's planned judicial reforms in March of 2023,

leading to Netanyahu firing him. He was quickly reinstated, however, in the face of massive public protests. Analysts in Israel say that while Netanyahu doesn't want Ghalen and his government, he is stuck with him for the time being, fearing the public backlash. Netanyahu had briefly floated a plan in February that would give local Palestinians, unaffiliated with Hamas, civilian control over the enclave. However, he has since been mum on any post-war strategy. Obviously, a problem with that governing scenario is trying to figure out just who in Gaza isn't affiliated with Hamas, whether by family relations, sympathies, or actual involvement.

The U.S., meanwhile, would prefer to see the Palestinian Authority step in to assume control, something that Netanyahu fundamentally opposes. The White House and State Department, which have been pushing for the PA, led by Mahmoud Abbas, to be the governing authority in Gaza, haven't explained how they propose making that happen, given that the PA is unpopular in Gaza, and they were physically ousted from Gaza back in 2006 and 2007 and when Hamas won control of the strip. Senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Anthony Blinkin, have claimed Israel cannot fully defeat Hamas,

pointing to their resurgence outside of Rafa. As we discussed earlier this week on the PDB, IDF forces have been engaged in firefights in northern Gaza against regrouped Hamas battalions in areas previously cleared by the IDF, raising questions about the long-term effectiveness of Israel's current strategy. Blinken recently said, quote, Israel's on the trajectory, potentially, to inherit an insurgency with many armed Hamas left, or if it leaves a vacuum filled by chaos, filled by anarchy, and probably refilled by Hamas, end quote. Now, the problem here is that, well, everybody is right to some degree or about a particular aspect. Netanyahu is correct in saying that talking about post-war Gaza is futile if Hamas remains viable and somewhat intact.

But Galada is also correct in saying that discussions should have been held by now and should be held now going forward about various plans for the post-war governance. The U.S. is also correct in worrying about creating an environment in Gaza where Israel is facing an insurgency from remaining elements of Hamas. After all, the U.S. has Iraq and Afghanistan as recent case studies. And Blanket is correct in arguing that it will be difficult to reach an ultimate objective if, if that ultimate objective is the complete destruction of Hamas. It's not pragmatic. It's not realistic to think that you can remove all of the Hamas fighters, although, from Netanyahu's

point of view, it appears that he's more thinking about the leadership structure and the mid-level management and the resources and destroying those is possible. As if we needed any more examples, This situation simply reminds us of just how complicated and seemingly intractable the Israel-Palestine problem has been and remains. Coming up after the break, we'll bring you the latest from Senator Bob Menendez's corruption trial, as his legal team appears to target his wife as the scapegoat. Well, that sound in the background is the bus being fired up by Senator Bob and his legal team. I'll be right back. How many discounts does USA Auto Insurance offer?

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After two days of jury selection, opening arguments in the corruption trial of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez have concluded. The senator and his legal team appear to have adopted a straightforward defense strategy. Blame his wife. As we've been reporting, Menendez faces multiple criminal charges, including bribery, extortion, wire fraud, obstruction of justice, and acting as a foreign agent. The long-serving New Jersey Democrat was previously the top-ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but he was removed as chairman after being charged. A search of his home back in September turned up over $480,000 in cash, that doesn't sound

sketchy, 13 gold bars worth over $100,000 and a Mercedes-Benz. Prosecutors alleged these items were part of a scheme to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar in exchange for Menendez's political influence. The senator married his wife Nadine Menendez in 2020, and she's also facing a whole slew of bribery and corruption charges. Well, at least they've got something in common. Prosecutor Laure Pomerance claimed that the 70-year-old Senator used his wife Nadine as a conduit for trading political favors for money, gifts, and gold bars. She argued that Menendez, quote, put his power up for sale, using his wife to facilitate the deals while avoiding direct communication about the bribes. The prosecutor emphasized

that this behavior was a, quote, portrayal of Menendez's oath of office. Now, Pomerant's told the jury, quote, the scheme filled his pockets, it filled his wife's pockets, and it fed their greed, end quote. In contrast, Menendez's attorney, Avi Whiteman, argued that Nadine Menendez managed financial matters independently and kept her husband in the dark about her activities. Oh, he told jurors that the couple led separate lives. Well, there's a tip for a happy marriage and had separate finances and noted that the gold bars were found locked in Mrs. Menendez's closet. What? Whitesman portrayed her as a financially troubled individual who pursued cash and assets without involving her husband. He maintained that Menendez was dedicated to his constituents

and not involved in any corrupt activities, describing the government's allegations as, quote, outrageously false, end quote. The trial is being held in Manhattan federal court, and it's expected to last until July, with Menendez required to attend daily. Now, he's on trial alongside Fred Dabes, a New Jersey real estate developer, and Whale Hanna, a businessman who allegedly brokered a deal between Menendez and the Egyptian government. Both daves and Hanna have pleaded not guilty. A third alleged co-conspirator, former insurance agent Jose Uribe, has pled guilty and is cooperating with the feds. Uh-oh. Well, that could spell trouble for Senator Bob as he prepares to throw Nadine under the bus. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Thursday, 16 May.

If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB. at thefirstTV.com. And if you want to listen to the show, ad-free, be sure to check out our premium membership at PDBPremium.com. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool.

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