Meetings between Israeli prime ministers and American presidents have always been dramatic and fateful.
However, none seem to bear the gravity of this week’s summit between Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump in Washington.
At stake is the future of the very shaky ceasefire with Hamas, the continued release of Israeli hostages, and whether Israel is going to withdraw from Gaza and leave the terrorist group in control. Trump has made platitudes about Hamas no longer being able to rule in Gaza but has made it clear that he wants the 15-month war to end.
That’s why he is going to push for the second stage of the ceasefire, which would include an IDF withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war, even if it means that Hamas stays in control.
Netanyahu knows that after the last two weeks of wrenchingly emotional hostage releases, a majority of the country feels that getting the remaining hostages out of Gaza is worth the sacrifice of the painful releases of hundreds of terrorists with blood on their hands – and not toppling Hamas.
He also knows that if he agrees to the second stage, there’s a good chance that his coalition will crumble.
As Anna Barsky wrote in Sunday’s Post, the aims of Israel and Hamas in the second phase of the ceasefire are diametrically opposed. Israel is demanding Hamas cease to exist as an armed organization with military, civilian, and political control to implement phase two. Hamas, on the other hand, expects Israel to leave Gaza so that they can continue to exert total control as they did before the war.
Will Netanyahu manage to convince Trump that it’s impossible to have it both ways? Will Trump choose the ‘easier’ route of complete Israeli withdrawal in exchange for the rest of the hostages and Hamas’s survival?
This is the time when our elected leaders are expected to prove their mettle. Making the hard decisions is what our prime minister is tasked with, without regard to personal survival; only what is best for the country. But in this case, what is best for the country is not clear-cut.
Yes, we want the hostages home. Seeing their condition, the reunions with their families, and the sense of relief everyone feels underscore the urgency of continuing the process. However, the scenes of Hamas and Islamic Jihad mobs still arrogantly ruling the roost in Gaza portend ill winds for the future.
As soon as the IDF withdraws, the countdown to the next attempted attack on Israel begins, not to mention the increased likelihood of terror attacks in Israel and the strengthening of Hamas in the West Bank as a result of the prisoner releases.
It’s ironic how some of those in Israel pushing for phase two, even if it means Hamas staying in power, have turned into Trump-ophytes, assured that only the volatile and unpredictable president has made the current deal possible and can stand up to Netanyahu’s hard line over its continuation.
Whereas the supporters of the coalition and those in favor of going back to war with Hamas are missing the days when Joe Biden was president, and it was easier to resist American persuasion.
A different reality
Ultimately, though, it’s not about who is the president, but who is at the helm of Israel. It’s time for Netanyahu to demonstrate that he’s the leader that he’s always claimed to be. To make the argument and push for solutions that are based on the country’s best interests and not on narrow political interests.
The trait of a great leader is realizing that sometimes, the goals that have been stated are not achievable. ‘Total victory’ over Hamas and the freeing of the rest of the hostages may have been the rallying cry mantra during the war, but the reality of today is different.
Every citizen has his or her own opinion of what we should do. But we haven’t been given the mandate to decide. Only one person has. Does Netanyahu possess the vision and humility to accept that and choose which avenue to proceed on? Let’s hope so.