The so-called ceasefire sickens me as much as most, and leaves me utterly shocked at why Trump seems to be so on board with it, even cheering for it.
That being said, I feel Scroll, Badran, et al, seem all to quick to dump on Trump across the spectrum because of this event.
The Abraham Accords, for example were one the greatest historical achievements toward normalizing relations in the greater Middle East, and still are.
Other commentary that Trump may hold a grudge toward BiBi because of 2020, or that Jared and Ivanka are on the “outs” because of Jan. 6th, and such suspicions are just that: merely suspicions, not based on facts, and, again, are purely speculative, bordering on ugly gossip.
I have suspicions too, but more in the other direction: that Qatar is in Trump’s crosshairs, that it’s some kind of a set-up for a bigger operation, that crushing Iran is the prize for having agreed to this, who the heck knows right now, or if we ever will. But right now, it sucks in every way imaginable.
Trump may very well have wanted this deal to clear the decks before his swearing in, or to cover his ass for having made such a bold threat months ago he felt he couldn’t deliver on. Maybe. And if so, that kind of decision in my opinion is beyond disappointing, and deeply disturbing.
Bottom line, no one knows what may be the real reasoning behind this push. We may never truly know.
But beyond all that, what gravely concerns me most about this travesty is that it also contains the very real potential of bringing down BiBi and his government, and in these times of all times, that would mark a death knell for Israel, making October 7th end up looking like just a warm up for what will be sure to come.
I think you hit on it, Suzie. Team Trump can't add to his Abraham Accord legacy unless Saudi Arabia signs onto AA. Saudis are the crown jewel of this initiative and if they come on board with a more official normalization with Israel, this isolates Iran. It is perhaps why Iran activated Hamas when it did on 10/7 to prevent Saudis from joining AA in 2024. If Saudi Arabia joins AA then in a few more years down the road would Qatar follow too?
It isn’t a conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, the so-called “Palestinians” want to slaughter the Jews and are willing to sacrifice themselves and their children to this holy cause. That’s it, that’s all there is to this “conflict”.
On Novermber 17th, 1937 Britain's Lord Halifax visited Nazi Germany, beginning of appeasement with Hitler. It culminated when British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain Declared “Peace for Our Time” on September 30, 1938 after signing the Munich Agreement with Hitler.
Prime Minister Chamberlain received a rowdy homecoming after signing this peace pact with Nazi Germany. Their shortsightedness was obvious, when less than one year later, on September 1, 1939, Hitler reneged on the agreement and declared war on Poland. This started World War II, which killed approximately 75 million people, and most definitely did not prove to be "Peace for Our Time."
For all of those who are clamoring for Ceasefires with modern-day terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas - it is an important history lesson.
On the other hand, Tony Badran as a member of the 501(c)(3) neoconservative think tank 'Foundation for Defense of Democracies' has a vested interest in keeping his organization relevant and continuing to provide policy options to 'strengthen' US national interests. Rabbi Levine, the warmongers in the West have been using the Hitler/Chamberlain/Churchill caricatures for the last 80 years to support continuous, profitable war-making. Tony calls Israeli peace w/ the Saudi's and Abraham Accords as fiction. Do you agree? If yes, I'm afraid there's no long-term hope for the State of Israel as long as this mindset remains entrenched, and I say that as a Zionist. Peace sells, but Tony decidedly isn't buying.
I also fully support the Abraham Accords. I can also appreciate your concern with the 'deal'. My current thinking is isolating Iran now best comes by getting Saudi's to sign onto the AA, and likely why 10/7 happened when it did (Saudi's were getting close in '23). Then work on getting more and more to sign on, including someday, Qatar. My guess is that Trump's 'hell to pay' words resonate and translate as 'I will Soleimani you' Hamas heads living in Qatar, if you don't get this done, and behave.
I don't think Hamas can be stopped completely until you remove the head of the snake which reside now in Turkey and Qatar, and even then, would it grow back another? Israel might also try is to move forward with co-developing the Gaza Marine (that Israel agreed to do back in Jun '23 w/ Egypt and the PA) in coming years, when dust settles. Giving Palestinians a viable economic alternative to the mullah's money, not to mention funds from the UNRWA. That would 'show' something new and different to other Arab nations and the world. I don't know if that Israeli decision on the Marine was 'real' or just show though. If real, does capital investment of this magnitude signal a path to an eventual Palestinian state? Israel has resisted the estimated $3B Gaza Marine development for over 20 years, fearing its proceeds would be used to fuel more terror. But the cynic in me says Israel resisting this development also pushes back against a 2-state solution.
“Washington will try to obscure that and replace it with fiction: Peace with the Saudis! A Palestinian state! Integration! Abraham Accords! The LAF! The PAF! None of these things are real. In fact, they’re anti-real. That is, they’re designed to eliminate the real. Asserting the primacy of military power in Lebanon, in Gaza and the West Bank, in Yemen, and ideally in Iran is key.”
My take is Tony wants armed conflict with Iran. I’m not on board with that.
Hamas is not exactly known for honoring ceasefire agreements If Hamas fails to be adhere to any provision and revers back to its usual tactics of rockets or worse the IDF will go back in and stay in Gaza indefinitely
No..this deal is a ploy to stymie a last ditch attempt, at the last moment, by the outgoing Obama/Biden Administration to torpedo Israel at the UN Security Council.
The ceasefire only needs to hold until Trump crosses over the line. Most thinking people would clearly see, Hamas cannot contain themselves, and will test every point of the agreement to attack Israel: There is no plan “B” for them, think it out.
The so-called ceasefire sickens me as much as most, and leaves me utterly shocked at why Trump seems to be so on board with it, even cheering for it.
That being said, I feel Scroll, Badran, et al, seem all to quick to dump on Trump across the spectrum because of this event.
The Abraham Accords, for example were one the greatest historical achievements toward normalizing relations in the greater Middle East, and still are.
Other commentary that Trump may hold a grudge toward BiBi because of 2020, or that Jared and Ivanka are on the “outs” because of Jan. 6th, and such suspicions are just that: merely suspicions, not based on facts, and, again, are purely speculative, bordering on ugly gossip.
I have suspicions too, but more in the other direction: that Qatar is in Trump’s crosshairs, that it’s some kind of a set-up for a bigger operation, that crushing Iran is the prize for having agreed to this, who the heck knows right now, or if we ever will. But right now, it sucks in every way imaginable.
Trump may very well have wanted this deal to clear the decks before his swearing in, or to cover his ass for having made such a bold threat months ago he felt he couldn’t deliver on. Maybe. And if so, that kind of decision in my opinion is beyond disappointing, and deeply disturbing.
Bottom line, no one knows what may be the real reasoning behind this push. We may never truly know.
But beyond all that, what gravely concerns me most about this travesty is that it also contains the very real potential of bringing down BiBi and his government, and in these times of all times, that would mark a death knell for Israel, making October 7th end up looking like just a warm up for what will be sure to come.
God have mercy on us all.
I think you hit on it, Suzie. Team Trump can't add to his Abraham Accord legacy unless Saudi Arabia signs onto AA. Saudis are the crown jewel of this initiative and if they come on board with a more official normalization with Israel, this isolates Iran. It is perhaps why Iran activated Hamas when it did on 10/7 to prevent Saudis from joining AA in 2024. If Saudi Arabia joins AA then in a few more years down the road would Qatar follow too?
I can imagine Trump making “an offer Qatar can’t refuse”.
We have a huge military base there and it would be a terrible thing for them to lose that, not to mention be on the wrong end of it.
It isn’t a conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, the so-called “Palestinians” want to slaughter the Jews and are willing to sacrifice themselves and their children to this holy cause. That’s it, that’s all there is to this “conflict”.
NOT simple at all to support this ceasefire
https://substack.com/@thinktorah/note/c-77640763
On Novermber 17th, 1937 Britain's Lord Halifax visited Nazi Germany, beginning of appeasement with Hitler. It culminated when British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain Declared “Peace for Our Time” on September 30, 1938 after signing the Munich Agreement with Hitler.
Prime Minister Chamberlain received a rowdy homecoming after signing this peace pact with Nazi Germany. Their shortsightedness was obvious, when less than one year later, on September 1, 1939, Hitler reneged on the agreement and declared war on Poland. This started World War II, which killed approximately 75 million people, and most definitely did not prove to be "Peace for Our Time."
For all of those who are clamoring for Ceasefires with modern-day terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas - it is an important history lesson.
This article https://www.timesofisrael.com/with-hostage-deal-netanyahu-is-going-all-in-on-trump/ may explain why Netanyahu agreed to this highly problematic agreement
On the other hand, Tony Badran as a member of the 501(c)(3) neoconservative think tank 'Foundation for Defense of Democracies' has a vested interest in keeping his organization relevant and continuing to provide policy options to 'strengthen' US national interests. Rabbi Levine, the warmongers in the West have been using the Hitler/Chamberlain/Churchill caricatures for the last 80 years to support continuous, profitable war-making. Tony calls Israeli peace w/ the Saudi's and Abraham Accords as fiction. Do you agree? If yes, I'm afraid there's no long-term hope for the State of Israel as long as this mindset remains entrenched, and I say that as a Zionist. Peace sells, but Tony decidedly isn't buying.
Don't agree about the Abraham Accords I SUPPORT them fully.
I do feel that making a ceasefire with Hamas whose views and actions mirror the Nazis is extraordinarily dangerous and risky. That's all
I also fully support the Abraham Accords. I can also appreciate your concern with the 'deal'. My current thinking is isolating Iran now best comes by getting Saudi's to sign onto the AA, and likely why 10/7 happened when it did (Saudi's were getting close in '23). Then work on getting more and more to sign on, including someday, Qatar. My guess is that Trump's 'hell to pay' words resonate and translate as 'I will Soleimani you' Hamas heads living in Qatar, if you don't get this done, and behave.
All possible and true.
But a ceasefire which leaves Hamas in power endangers everything. As long as Hamas remains, another October 7th or worse will be planned.
See eg https://vinnews.com/2025/01/15/hamas-leader-khalil-al-haya-praises-october-7th-attacks-vows-future-violence-in-shocking-speech-broadcast/
I don't think Hamas can be stopped completely until you remove the head of the snake which reside now in Turkey and Qatar, and even then, would it grow back another? Israel might also try is to move forward with co-developing the Gaza Marine (that Israel agreed to do back in Jun '23 w/ Egypt and the PA) in coming years, when dust settles. Giving Palestinians a viable economic alternative to the mullah's money, not to mention funds from the UNRWA. That would 'show' something new and different to other Arab nations and the world. I don't know if that Israeli decision on the Marine was 'real' or just show though. If real, does capital investment of this magnitude signal a path to an eventual Palestinian state? Israel has resisted the estimated $3B Gaza Marine development for over 20 years, fearing its proceeds would be used to fuel more terror. But the cynic in me says Israel resisting this development also pushes back against a 2-state solution.
Tony Badran says Abraham Accords is a fiction?
Badran:
“Washington will try to obscure that and replace it with fiction: Peace with the Saudis! A Palestinian state! Integration! Abraham Accords! The LAF! The PAF! None of these things are real. In fact, they’re anti-real. That is, they’re designed to eliminate the real. Asserting the primacy of military power in Lebanon, in Gaza and the West Bank, in Yemen, and ideally in Iran is key.”
My take is Tony wants armed conflict with Iran. I’m not on board with that.
Hamas is not exactly known for honoring ceasefire agreements If Hamas fails to be adhere to any provision and revers back to its usual tactics of rockets or worse the IDF will go back in and stay in Gaza indefinitely
Israel should finish the job. Negotiated settlements of kinetic conflict always result in another round of the same. https://www.hoover.org/research/what-we-have-forgotten-about-war
No..this deal is a ploy to stymie a last ditch attempt, at the last moment, by the outgoing Obama/Biden Administration to torpedo Israel at the UN Security Council.
The ceasefire only needs to hold until Trump crosses over the line. Most thinking people would clearly see, Hamas cannot contain themselves, and will test every point of the agreement to attack Israel: There is no plan “B” for them, think it out.
I believe SSRP should be SSRS which apparently doesn't stand for anything...
"The acronym is no longer part of our brand identity. Simply refer to us as SSRS in any and all communications."
https://ssrs.com/news/cnn-poll-biden-leaves-office-with-his-approval-rating-matching-the-lowest-of-his-term/
No amount of spin could hide such incompetence.