Israelis are deeply divided over the reported hostage deal with Hamas, which many in the opposition claim is no different than the deal on offer in May from the White House.
Israelis and Israel supporters on the right are particularly worried about reports that President-elect Donald Trump's pressure helped bring about a deal originally proposed by Joe Biden and which is considered very bad for Israel, insofar as it ensures everything Hamas wants, including an end to the war and a full IDF withdrawal - with Hamas surviving as a political and military force.
Political commentator Amit Segal says that there's more than meets the eye and that talks with those intimately familiar with the President say that there's a fundamental difference between the approach of the two presidents.
According to Segal, Joe Biden wanted an end to the war, full stop, and the push for any deal that would release the hostages was simply the excuse he needed to end the war.
Trump is different - he wants some success in hand, much like President Reagan who ended the Iran hostage crisis after 450 days of failure by his predecessor Jimmy Carter.
If this is the situation and Trump actually helps the war effort later on, including a serious change in the provision of humanitarian aid, which has kept Hamas alive by stealing and reselling the aid, as well as allowing the establishment of a buffer zone dividing the Gaza Perimeter and the Gaza Strip, then that is indeed a significant difference.
In the meantime, reports regarding the deal are optimistic but remain vague on the details and timing, especially when it comes to the Hamas leadership in Gaza's final answer. As they are the ones with ultimate control over the hostages, the deal will ultimately rise and fall on their word.
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