Why the U.S. and Saudis Want a Two-State Solution, and Israel Doesn’t
AtlanticFeb 29
Gaza: Netanyahu Vows to Enter Rafah
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Image copyright: Ahmad Hasaballah/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
After vowing Sunday that Israeli forces —regardless of the status of a potential hostage deal — would eventually enter the Gaza border town of Rafah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel has a plan to evacuate civilians. US officials have said the US would only support a push into Rafah that entailed a plan to avoid civilian casualties.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh announced Monday he will resign from the Palestinian Authority (PA), which partially controls the West Bank, as the US pushes to reform the PA so it can potentially administer a future Palestinian state.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Israel must be able to defend itself from terrorist attacks from Gaza or elsewhere, and the US is committed to preventing malicious actors from threatening Israel's legitimate concerns. However, Netanyahu is going too far, and he must be willing to follow through on his promises to compromise on a needed truce. The Biden administration is losing its patience with Netanyahu's intransigence.
Pro-Israel narrative
Israel wants nothing more than to end the war and get the hostages back. However, Iranian-backed groups made the error of believing that Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist massacre was an opportunity to establish new "rules of engagement" with Israel, displacing the country's northern communities. This status quo is unacceptable to Israel, and — as Israeli officials have indicated — a cease-fire in Gaza has no impact on the Lebanese border.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Because Israeli forces are committing daily massacres in the Gaza Strip, the international community must put more pressure on Israel and the US to accept a permanent cease-fire. Diverging politically even from its allies, the US is effectively isolating itself from its Arab partners and the rest of the world in terms of its support for Israel's slaughter. To get the hostages back, Israel must withdraw from Gaza and end the bloodshed.
Narrative D
Even in the face of regular Israeli massacres in south Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, the Lebanese and Palestinian people only grow more resolute in their firm opposition to Israeli aggression. The US must understand that supporting Israel's crimes will only lead to more escalation in the region. Hezbollah's primary goal is to end the war in Gaza, but if the US and Israel continue to disregard international law, the resistance may be forced to expand its operations.
