Latest news with #EdanAlexander
Washington Post
2 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Trump administration 'optimistic' on Gaza ceasefire as Israel backs U.S. plan
The White House has sent an Israeli-backed ceasefire proposal to Hamas, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday, in the latest bid to quell fighting, free hostages and enable the flow of humanitarian aid to struggling Gaza. The White House has been willing to engage directly with Hamas to help broker deals, and successfully won the release earlier this month of the last living U.S. citizen held hostage by the militant group, 22-year-old Edan Alexander. But a broader halt to the fighting has been more elusive since a two-month ceasefire broke down in mid-March.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Why do so many Americans join the Israeli military?
In his 1971 novel The Day of the Jackal, Frederick Forsyth renders a rich plot to assassinate Charles de Gaulle, the French president. The conspirators are pied-noirs, the term used to describe Frenchmen born in Algeria during the colonial occupation there. They grieve De Gaulle's exit from north Africa, which they regard as a betrayal. Unable to remain in the former colony, they return home – dejected and emasculated – and murderous. In many ways, the pied-noirs regard themselves as being more French than the French. The novel derives some of its appeal from the fact that it's rooted in history – revanchist Frenchmen made at least six attempts to assassinate De Gaulle in the 1960s. Yigal Amir, the Israeli settler who assassinated Yitzhak Rabin in 1994, reportedly devoured the book, and drew inspiration from it. I began to reflect on the novel after reading about the recent Hamas-US prisoner deal. Edan Alexander, the American Israeli soldier who was held captive by Hamas for a year and a half, 'grew up in New Jersey and moved to Israel after high school to join the military', as reported by the New York Times. When I read that line I wondered what drove his radicalization – what leads an American teenager to travel to a foreign country to join an army whose primary occupation is apartheid? The question is meaningful in its particulars, but it also highlights a broader phenomenon: Alexander's path is not remotely unique. The Washington Post reported in February 2024 that 'an estimated 23,380 American citizens currently serve in Israeli ranks'. But they have traveled a trail worn and bloodied by others. Baruch Goldstein, an American Zionist who murdered 29 Palestinians in a mosque in Hebron in 1994, was from Brooklyn. The Post story, which profiles the families of Americans who died serving in the Israeli army, describes their 'fierce commitment to the Jewish state'. Two of the three families have lived or volunteered in settlements – the apartheid infrastructure Israel has built in the West Bank. One mother describes her son, who died while perpetrating a genocide in Gaza, as 'more Israeli than the Israelis'. A father describes his family's journey from America by saying: 'We came for Zionism.' The story goes on to describe the elaborate social apparatus through which young Americans are radicalized. One soldier who was killed in Gaza 'worked each year at a Zionist summer camp in Pennsylvania'. Reading the article, I got a strong sense of the brainwashing, the in-group dynamic at work. The families seem to regard their choices, and those of their children, as being normal – valiant, even. To be sure, the phenomenon of Americans joining foreign armies is not unique to Zionists or Israel. NPR reports that hundreds of Americans are fighting alongside Ukrainians in their war against the Russian occupation. But hundreds is not the same as tens of thousands, and fighting occupation is the opposite of investing in and propagating it. Now, with the genocide in Palestine, we're faced with a reality in which tens of thousands of Americans are actively involved in war crimes. They are part of an army responsible for the murder of more than 20,000 children in Gaza, where the Economist estimates that Israeli soldiers have killed between 77,000 and 109,000 people, or 4-5% of the territory's population in 2023. The radicalization of young Zionist men and women does not receive the attention it deserves by the FBI and law enforcement – as contrasted with the experience of Muslims, which is described by the writer Arun Kundnani in his book, The Muslims are Coming. The reason for their hesitation goes first to the history of antisemitism in the west, where Jewish people have been accused of harboring dual loyalties for hundreds of years. The Dreyfus Affair in France – in which a Jewish officer was falsely accused of treason – acts as exemplar here. And in Germany, Jewish veterans of the first world war found that they were Jewish before they were German. Berthold Guthmann, for example, received the Iron Cross for bravery in the first world war. He was murdered at Auschwitz in 1944 by his former colleagues. Good people do not want to be accused of antisemitism. And if talking about a headache makes it worse, it's better not to talk at all. But more than antisemitism, there's the fact of America's establishment affinity for Israel – which recalls the French sympathy for the pied-noirs in the 1950s. In Congress, Brian Mast has been known to wear the uniform of the Israeli military while performing official duties. He also volunteered for the Israeli army. The affinity is similar among Democrats, where Chuck Schumer told a New York Times columnist 'My job … is to keep the left pro-Israel.' The tendency to regard Israel as an extension of the United States exists within media as well. In an interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates, a CBS anchor described the author's work on Palestine as resembling 'extremist' writings. The network later distanced itself from the anchor's statements and behavior. A more recent example took place in May. In a tense interview on MSNBC, the Pulitzer prize-winning poet Mosab Abu Taha highlighted the fact that Israeli soldiers – men and women – are perpetrating mass murder in Gaza. Abu Taha went on to recount the stories of his own family who have been killed by Israeli pilots. He described how some of their bodies are irrecoverable – they have lain under the rubble of their bombed homes for more than 500 days. Abu Taha, through his clear description of the depredations of Israeli troops – and his unrelenting focus on their victims – offers a path. One can hope that American mothers and fathers may watch his interview, and others like it, and say: 'No, I do not want my son to be radicalized, to participate in an atrocity.' Surely, their love for their children demands it. Ahmed Moor is a writer and fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace
Ya Libnan
5 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
Hamas agrees to U.S. proposal on Gaza ceasefire, Palestinian official says
File : Freed Staff Sgt. Edan Alexander is airlifted along with his family from the Re'im base in southern Israel to Sourasky Hospital in Tel Aviv, May 12, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces). He thanked president Trump for his release but refused to meet Israeli PM Netanyahu , who failed so far in freeing the remaining hostages . The US is now negotiating the release of the remains hostages and a ceasefire with Hamas through Qatar and Egypt CAIRO- Hamas has agreed to a proposal by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff for a Gaza ceasefire, a Palestinian official close to the group told Reuters on Monday, paving the way for a possible end to the war. The new proposal, which sees the release of ten hostages and 70 days of truce, was received by Hamas through mediators. 'The proposal includes the release of ten living Israeli hostages held by Hamas in two groups in return for a 70-day ceasefire and a partial withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,' the source said. The proposal also sees the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners by Israel, including hundreds of those serving lengthy prison terms. There was no immediate comment from Israel. Following the release of Edan Alexander, a US-Israeli hostage held by Hamas, there have been ongoing reports regarding US negotiations with Hamas, particularly concerning a potential ceasefire in Gaza and the release of remaining hostages This marks a significant shift in US policy, as the US had previously refrained from direct engagement with the group, according to NPR . Qatar and Egypt have played a key role in mediating between the US and Hamas, facilitating communication and proposing ceasefire frameworks. There have been reports of indirect communication with Hamas through individuals like Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian-American businessman, who served as an intermediary in the release of Alexander. Israeli PM Netanyahu has reportedly been angered over these negotiations because they expose his weakness as a leader . After Alexander was freed earlier this month , he thanked president Trump and refused to meet Netanyahu It is clear that the Israeli public has no faith in Netanyahu's handling of the war: over 70 percent believe he should resign his position. Yet despite ongoing protests , it's equally clear that the prime minister will not be changing course voluntarily. According to Israeli political analysts 'Netanyahu cares very deeply about maintaining his grip on power: it's the closest thing to a literal get-out-of-jail-free card that a prime minister staring down criminal conviction could have. This means that he cares a great deal about the far-right threats to quit his government, and will want to maintain the war as long as he can, absent a major political threat on his other flank.' (Reuters) / Ya Libnan
Roya News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
'Israel' rejects Hamas proposal for partial captive release deal: Hebrew media
'Israel' on Monday dismissed a proposal put forward by Hamas that called for the release of five captives in exchange for several demands. An 'Israeli' official told The Jerusalem Post that the offer was "very far away from the outline that we are willing to negotiate on." The proposal was reportedly developed by Hamas and relayed to the United States through direct backchannel communications. The US then forwarded the offer to 'Israel' but did not express official support or opposition to the plan. Hamas's proposal included the release of five living captives in return for several demands: the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) withdrawing to their positions in Gaza from two months ago, unrestricted humanitarian aid access across all Gaza areas, ongoing negotiations for the release of remaining captives—both living and deceased—and a form of American recognition of Hamas. This backchannel was reportedly facilitated by Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah, chair of Arab Americans for Peace, who reportedly helped coordinate previous talks leading to the release of freed captive Edan Alexander. Separately, US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he wants to end the Gaza war "as quickly as possible." Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, Trump added, "We want to see if we can stop it. And we've talked to Israel, we want to see if we can stop this whole situation as quickly as possible," expressing hope for positive developments soon.
Middle East Eye
6 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Hamas, Israel review new truce proposal by mediator of Edan Alexander release: Al Mayadeen
Hamas and Israel are looking into a newly proposed cease fire deal that was put forward by the mediator , who had facilitated the release of ex-Israeli captive Edan Alexander, the Lebanese newspaper Al Mayadeen said on Monday quoting a senior Palestinian official. According to the source, the proposal, which was submitted by Palestinian-American activist Bishara Bahbah, reportedly includes the release of 10 Israeli captives in two stages over the course of a 60-day cease-fire. Hamas agrees to release only five living captives and five bodies in two phases and a 70-day cease fire, on its first and seventh days. It also demands the entrance of 1,000 humanitarian aid trucks daily to Gaza Strip. The two parties are expected to discuss a Hamas agreement in order to 'refrain from any military action against Israel or attempt to arm itself, as well as US guaranteed negotiations on ending the war,' reports the Israeli media outlet Haaretz. The US proposal includes extending the cease fire if the negotiations last. The formation of a transitional government in Gaza, and rebuilding the strip will also be discussed.
