Hostage Families Call For Biden-Backed Cease-Fire Deal
TimeMay 21
Netanyahu Aide Says Israel Accepts Biden's Gaza Cease-Fire Plan
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Above: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the first leg of his four-day trip to the Middle East, on May 25, 2021 in Jerusalem, Israel. Image copyright: Haim Zach/GPO Handout/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Ophir Falk, the chief foreign policy advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, confirmed on Sunday that Israel had accepted a framework deal for a Gaza cease-fire proposed by US Pres. Joe Biden.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, he stressed that the "deal [Israel] agreed to" was "not a good deal but [Israel] dearly want[s] the hostages released, all of them."
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
A guaranteed end to the war will ensure increased humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave, preserve Israel's security, and create a better "day after" in Gaza without Hamas in power. If Hamas is ready to engage constructively, the Israeli government must stand behind the cease-fire plan. Biden is calling time on the war — Netanyahu must seize this moment and stop the fighting.
Establishment-critical narrative
The much-touted cease-fire plan lacks substance and is akin to the exact old wine in a new bottle — facing the same problems that its predecessors did. As the plan's origins remain unclear, it's most likely only the Biden administration signaling to Israel that America wants to bring the conflict to an end at a time when its lack of influence in the Middle East is crystal clear.
