Information appeared in the press that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu “stayed at home” yesterday. According to reports, he had a heart attack and is “under the supervision of doctors”. In Jerusalem and other cities of Israel, the relatives of those taken hostage by Hamas organized protests, the police intervened. There is still no clarity in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in Egypt. Hamas has stated that it is necessary to find out how many of the Israeli hostages were killed by the bombings or died of malnutrition.
Western sources report that Benny Gantz, a coalition partner of Netanyahu’s government, was “hurriedly invited to Washington”. There is information that the Israeli ambassador to the United States did not meet him. Gantz is believed to have been “invited to the White House to discuss the political future of the Israeli government, specifically Prime Minister Netanyahu.” The differences between Biden and Netanyahu on the issue of Palestine are no secret to anyone.
Are there political forces and “death row” figures in Israel who would agree to the declaration of Palestinian independence? Moreover, in 1967 borders, which implies the return of the settlements of Jewish settlers and even the Golan Heights to Palestine and Syria during the last two to three decades. One of the Israeli figures called such a prospect a “disaster” and added that if this happens, “there will be no people left in this country.” According to his calculations, about two million people in Israel today have US citizenship, and half a million are citizens of various European Union countries.
On the other hand, however, the USA has not managed to “break the unity of the Arab world” on the issue of Palestine. Recently, the talk is already about pan-Islamic solidarity. For the United States, following Netanyahu’s course on the issue of Palestine means losing the trust of the Arab world, above all, the Persian Gulf monarchies. And this is fraught with the danger of such rearrangements in the Middle East that will weaken the already geopolitical positions of the USA.
Is Netanyahu’s “heartbreak” really biological or political? What message will Benny Gantz get in Washington? One of the comments stated that Hamas is “still waiting for Benny Gantz’s negotiations in Washington” and has switched from initial agreements to “time-buying tactics” by offering to remove Israeli troops from northern Gaza and create an opportunity for the population to return. Netanyahu cannot take such a step in any sense.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that one of the main Muslim holidays, Ramadan, is approaching. The Arab part of Jerusalem is troubled. There is an impression that mass protests will be organized during the days of Ramadan and tens of thousands of believers will move towards Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. This can lead to collisions. Jews are no less radical.
Against the background of this difficult situation, after the regular session of the government, Turkish President Erdogan announced the decision to “start a new phase of the fight against terrorism” in northern Iraq and Syria. According to him, it will “start in June”. The propaganda element is obvious. Foreign Minister Fidan is about to leave for Washington. Before that, he negotiated with the Russian counterpart in Antalya. It appears that Netanyahu’s time is running out. Who will replace him? And will Palestine be declared independent? Is Israel ending its historical-geopolitical role?
