CNN: US conflict, How to achieve Gaza deal without pressing Netanyahu?
3 Min Read
CNN details how the US administration continues working for a prisoner exchange deal before Biden's tenure ends without exasperating all of its efforts against "Israel".
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U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington D.C., U.S., July 25, 2024 (AP)
The United States is "chasing smoke" when it comes to securing a prisoner exchange deal, according to CNN, which added that "Washington's goal seems farther than ever".
CNN considered that the US administration is risking destroying its credibility when it repeatedly predicts an approaching deal, but then fails to achieve it. It further noted that Biden's administration was wasting capital on a "desperate goal" it was greatly misjudging.
The American network also cited a senior White House Democrat as saying "Joe Biden multiplied his focus on the Middle East ever since he shelved his presidential campaign," adding that he was "obsessed with this case."
In this context, it was noted that Biden's decision to end his election run added a new and personal dimension to the so-called conflict in the Middle East because "if he does not find a solution over the next few months, he risks the possibility of handing his successor a failure that will help shape his legacy."
American officials have not yet acknowledged that there may not be an agreement before Biden leaves office, while the White House, despite its frustration, has not yet used all possible influence on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and may not do so, CNN added.
Read more: US could finalize revised draft of ceasefire proposal by weekend
Moreover, Biden is a staunch supporter of "Israel", and has not yet been willing to give in to "progressive demands to restrict US arms sales to Israel to force Netanyahu to agree", CNN said, adding that the possibility of the Biden administration distancing itself from "Israel" and publicly blaming Netanyahu in a way that would expose it to accusations of bias towards Hamas still seems unlikely.
At the same time, anger among progressives and Arab voters could threaten Harris’s election hopes, meaning that the motivations that pushed the US administration into this cycle have not changed. Therefore, CNN assumed that Washington could not give up, but ending the war remains essential, in addition to its strong desire to prevent the regional conflict from expanding.
The American network considered that the intense political pressures that Netanyahu was exposed to from the families of the captives, to exert more effort to release them, did not reach the necessary threshold to overthrow him.
Quoting several analysts, CNN relayed that Netanyahu wants to prolong the war to postpone the inevitable investigations into how the largest attack against "Israel" occurred during his term, adding that Netanyahu will find himself in a vulnerable spot during his fraud and bribery trials once he is out of office.
It is worth noting that former US negotiator, Aaron David Miller, said that the main number on Netanyahu's mind is not that of the tens of thousands of Israeli settlers protesting for a prisoner exchange deal, but the 64 seats in government.
"There is no indicator that any of the parties in the government would benefit from breaking Netanyahu's coalition," he added.
Read more: Delays to cause 'Israel' to lose upper hand in prisoner exchange deal
