WASHINGTON: Senior Israeli and US officials acknowledged on Monday, amid mounting skepticism over Tel Aviv’s position, that US President Joe Biden’s idea for a Gaza truce last week was essentially an amended version of a proposal that had previously been presented by mediators.
The Israeli insider told NBC News that the proposal was an older version that Israel had modified, despite the White House claiming it originated in Israel.
A State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, claimed separately that the plan was “nearly identical” to the one that Hamas had provided a few weeks prior.
Although Hamas stated on Friday that it saw “positives” in Biden’s plan, it has not released an official statement since.
Authorities acknowledge a strategy based on mediators’ recommendations that Hamas has previously approved.
Despite objections from Tel Aviv, the White House is pushing the plan, which was approved by the G7 on Monday, as something that Israel can embrace.
According to media reports, Hamas approved a virtually identical plan from Qatar and Egypt on May 6, but Israel had previously rejected it. That idea had also received support from the US.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Monday that Israel has demonstrated a willingness to accept President Biden’s proposed ceasefire and prisoner release agreement.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, promptly emphasized that Israel would continue the war that was started by the October 7 attack until all of its “goals are achieved,” including the obliteration of Hamas’s capacity for both military and government.
The degree to which Biden’s speech and some other important details—such as the duration of any truce and the number and timing of detainee releases—were planned with Netanyahu’s team has been called into question by Israeli media.
Election-related stress
President Biden is reportedly pressing for a revised peace proposal because he wants to put an end to the Gaza war before November’s presidential elections.
Recent surveys highlight the mounting internal pressure—fueled by Israeli atrocities in Gaza—on President Biden’s political prospects. According to the polls, 71% of Democrats and independents leaning Democratic (71%) have little to no faith in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a rise from 56% in 2023.
According to a different survey, 79 percent of Arab Americans think poorly of President Biden, while 56 percent think poorly of Donald Trump. Many of these people live in states that are crucial to Mr. Biden’s chances of winning another term, such Wisconsin and Michigan.
The polls also show why Biden is deliberately trying to put Netanyahu behind him.
There are some who surmise that the Biden administration is trying to salvage Netanyahu’s reputation by portraying the peace plan as an Israeli initiative.
