At a Channel 12 panel, political commentator and reporter Amit Segal fiercely attacked President Biden’s approach, saying:
“Biden is like those in a beauty pageant who want world peace. But what are you doing for that peace? On October 7, on October 8, October 12 and a few dates in this month including during his visit here, Biden repeated his position that Hamas’ rule needs to be brought down.”
“But you can’t do it without Rafah. The Americans send two messages: we want to see plans to evacuate the population but yesterday they briefed that they don’t see how such a plan is possible. So say you’re against entering Rafah and against bringing down Hamas.”
Segal also added that Biden’s support was elementary: “so with all due respect to Biden’s nice words in speeches, and there were very nice words and he stood by us in a difficult hour but it is not just because he’s the last Zionist President. It’s because any freedom-loving person who sees these horrors would not be expected to respond otherwise, and this is how all the leaders of the world aside from the antisemitic among them responded.”
“Hold on Sinwar, you’re not alone”
“Now I admit that I cannot understand, forget politically, maybe he thinks this helps him politically, that’s above my pay grade. But morally, you swear that the Hamas government needs to be brought down and then you freeze the weapons delivery to Israel and send Hamas an airlift of encouragement which says: ‘here, there is an enormous gap between the Americans and the Israelis. Hold on Sinwar, you’re not alone.’ They don’t mean to do this, but this is certainly what is happening…”
Regarding current negotiations for a hostage deal, Segal said that “the simple fact that we need to say and that the Americans don’t admit but anyone with a brain knows is that Hamas’ last proposal is worse than the last proposal. (Hamas) can bring them back alive or as bodies. It has nothing stopping them. I know it’s hard to think this about a peace-seeking organization like Hamas – (that they would) shoot them ten minutes before they come to us, and even then they’ll only rrelease 18 and then Israel needs to end the war.”
He ended with a rhetorical question: “Is anyone willing to accept this?”