Secretary of State Antony Blinken, 61, finished another furious round of shuttle diplomacy, trying to convince Arab states to back Israel’s operation in Gaza, despite Hamas casualty counts, suggesting an Israeli massacre of Palestinians in the 2.3 million Gaza Strip. Hams seized Gaza from the Palestinian Authority June 14, 2007, after the once Ottoman and Egyptian-controlled Mediterranean seaside territory was turned over the Palestinians Sept. 22, 2005. While the U.S. makes a distinction between Hamas in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority [PA] in Ramallah, West Bank, the fact remains that both Palestinian groups want Israel out of Holy Land. Neither Hamas nor the PA had any sovereignty in the Holy Land until Israel turned over Gaza and the West Bank to Palestinians. Before Israel annexed Gaza and the West Banik in 1967, it was controlled by Egypt and Jordan.
Meeting in Ankara, Turkey with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan after meetings in Jordan, Blinken found little sympathy for the war with Hamas. Whether admitted to or not, Turkey would like to have control of the Holy Land again, just like the Ottomans had before the 1920 Treaty of Sevres when the Ottoman Empire was broken up. Egypt and Jordan received sovereignty over Gaza and the West Bank at the Treaty of Sevres, two years after WW I. Arabs living in the Holy Land were under Ottoman and British occupation for over 500 years. Yet once Israel received the British Mandate of Palestine in 1948, the wars and revolts started. “All of this is a work in progress,” Blinken said before leaving Turkey. “We don’t obviously aggree on everything, but there are common views on some of the imperatives of the moment that we’re working on together,” Blinken said.
Hamas continues to pump out fake data on civilian casualties in Gaza, something credentialed news organizations don’t question. Everyday the numbers keep going up without supplying any verification to the world press. Whatever genocide happened on Oct. 7 near the Gaza border, the world press continues to blame Israel for escalating civilian casualties, whether they’re factual or not. While making the rounds, Blinken knows there’s little sympathy with Israel, especially in Turkey or other Arab capitals. Prevailing propaganda dictates that Israel occupies Palestinian lands, when Arabs living in the Holy Land never had sovereign territory for over 500 years. White House officials have tried to stem more fake reports that Iranian proxies, like Hezbollah in Lebanon or Houthis in Yemen, were about to expand the war against Israel. So far, nothing materialized attesting to the fake press reports.
Blinken tried to assuage growing concerns about a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, affecting much of the 2.3 million population. “We’ve engaged the Israelis on steps that the can take to minimize civilian casualties,” Blinken said, knowing the figures given by Hamas Ministry of Health are fake. “We’re working, as I said, very aggressively on getting more humanitarian assistance into Gaza,” Blinken said, showing U.S. sensitivity to the suffering of the Gazan people in a time of war. But if the press polled Gaza citizens on Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israeli civilians, most would agree that its their right of resistance. Resistance equates with any atrocity, including genocide, as long as it fits with Hamas’ goal of destroying Israel, returning sovereignty to Arabs living in exile or in the Holy Land. Whether it’s Hamas or the PA, both Palestine organizations seek to end Israeli occupation on Muslim lands.
Blinken served notice at foreign capitols that the U.S. only favored a ceasefire if Hams returned all hostages. Hamas’ refusal to return hostages show the world that it isn’t concerned about Gaza civilians, only advancing its cause of destroying Israel. Even progressive like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) admits that it’s difficult to pull off a ceasefire with Hamas in control of Gaza. No Arab state, or other pro-Palestinians groups, has condemned Hamas for the Nazi-ISIS-like Oct. 7attacks of Israeli citizens. They characterize the Hamas war as collective punishment when it’s about Israeli’s survival as a state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamic Netanyahu sees the Oct. 7 massacre as an existential crisis for the Israeli government. Viewed as Israel’s Sept. 11, Oct. 7 was a rallying cry in Israel to eliminate the Hamas regime in Gaza. If there’s any chance of a future peace, Hamas can’t be left in charge of Gaza.
Blinken has a mission impossible to convince Arab states and other governments to accept the Hamas War as necessary for any future peace in the Middle East. Hamas officials have made clear, with their Iranian backers, that peace will only come when Israel is destroyed and all Jews massacred. Since that’s not happening, Hamas and the PA are not serious about a ceasefire and future peace plans. Since the war began, Palestinians have made clear they want Jews out of the Holy Land. Hamas can manufacture any lie about civilian casualties since nothing is ever verified by credentialed news organizations. President Joe Biden infuriated Palestinians questioned Oct. 25 the accuracy of Hamas death tolls. Judging by facts reported in the past, only disinformation and propaganda comes from Hamas. If Hamas waned a ceasefire, they would release the hostages.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
