On a pointless war once again – Amos Harel in Haaretz:

‘A few hours before U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began their first of two planned meetings at the White House on Monday, five soldiers were killed and 14 wounded by explosions in the northern Gaza Strip.
The explosions, near the ruins of the town of Khan Yunis, was yet another reminder of how deeply Israel is mired in a pointless war that it has long since lost any justification for continuing. "You were a brave soldier in a war with no goal," said a friend of one of the dead, Sgt. 1st Class Benyamin Asulin of Haifa, in his eulogy.’

(…)

‘What is going on between Trump and Netanyahu is still not known. On Wednesday morning, the two met for a second time in a day and on short notice. A so-called senior political official who on Tuesday briefed Israeli journalists said there was no difference in the U.S. and Israeli views on the Gaza cease-fire talks. What is important to each side was also clear from the brief dialogue recorded by the cameras.
Trump, who is not the slightest bit embarrassed by any act of flattery, was pleased by Netanyahu's announcement that he had proposed the president as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. (Trump should perhaps ask himself whether Netanyahu's nomination helps or hurts his chances.) Netanyahu resumed talk about "voluntary migration" of Gazans – a euphemism for the planned violent, forced expulsion of the Strip's Palestinian population.
This plan rears its ugly head about once every two months, mainly during Netanyahu's visits to Washington. Trump, who expressed support for the idea in February, seems to have lost interest since then. The extensive preoccupation of the prime minister and his people with it may have nothing to do with strategic or even coalition considerations (the attempt to keep the far-right factions in the government). Perhaps it is meant to be a deal-killer that can be pulled out of his hat if Hamas proves to be flexible in the cease-fire negotiations.’ (…)
‘Now, in the negotiations, Israel is struggling over the future of the aid fund, over which many questions surround its ties to businessmen and possibly politicians. Meanwhile, the one taking fire is IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. He has become a source of concern for Netanyahu, Katz, and others due to his reservations about concentrating the Gazans in Rafah. The leaks against him are part of a deliberate attempt to intimidate him, with the aim of restraining him and getting him to toe the line.’

Read the article here.

It’s Trump that can stop Netanyahu. If he is willing to do that? Maybe in return for the Nobel?

The both selfish and messianic destruction that is the center of Netanyahu’s program appears to be endless, anybody who is opposing this policy, even if it’s the IDF Chief of Staff ,needs to be whipped into obedience.