US pushes Biden’s ‘old plan’ despite Israeli reservations

WASHINGTON: Amid growing doubts over Tel Aviv’s stance, senior Israeli and US officials admitted on Monday that the Gaza ceasefire plan put forward by US President Joe Biden last week was actually the modified version of a proposal that had already been put forward by mediators.

While the White House described the plan as originating from Israel, the Israeli official told NBC News it was an earlier plan to which Israel had made some amendments and changes.

Separately, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the proposal was “nearly identical” to the one submitted several weeks ago by Hamas.

Hamas on Friday said it viewed Biden’s outline “positively”, but since then it has made no official comment.

Officials admit plan based on proposals from mediators, already agreed to by Hamas

The plan, which was endorsed by the G7 on Monday, is being pushed by the White House as something acceptable to Israel — despite protestations from Tel Aviv.

Media reports have noted that Israel had previously rejected an almost identical plan put forward by Qatar and Egypt, which Hamas had accepted on May 6. The US had supported that plan as well.

On Monday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan insisted that Israel had shown willingness to agree to the ceasefire and prisoner release deal proposed by President Biden.

However, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office quickly stressed that Israel would push on with the war sparked by the October 7 attack until all of its “goals are achieved”, including the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities.

Israeli media have questioned to what extent Biden’s speech and some crucial details were coordinated with Netanyahu’s team, including how long any truce would hold and how many captives would be freed and when.

Election pressure

There is a widespread belief that President Biden is looking to end the Gaza war before the presidential elections in November, which is why he is pushing for a revamped peace plan.

Recent opinion polls underscore the increasing domestic pressure on President Biden’s political future, fueled by Israeli atrocities in Gaza. The polls show that seven in 10 Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (71pc) have little or no confidence in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, up from 56pc in 2023.

Another poll indicates that 79pc of Arab Americans have an unfavorable view of President Biden, compared to 56pc with an unfavorable view of Donald Trump. Many of these voters reside in key states like Michigan and Wisconsin, which Mr Biden must win to secure another term.

The polls also indicate why Biden is making a conscious effort to distance himself from Netanyahu.

Some observers speculate that by framing the peace plan as an Israeli initiative, the Biden administration is attempting to rehabilitate Netanyahu’s image.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2024