No End to the Nightmare

491

November 12, 2023

Published in Frankfurter Rundschau
(Germany) on 7 November 2023
by Andreas Schwarzkopf (link to original link to original)

Translated from by Peter Carioca. Edited by Patricia Simoni.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is rightly urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call for a humanitarian cease-fire* in the Gaza Strip, but he’s not getting through.

It’s true that the U.S. administration never tires of pushing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a humanitarian cease-fire* in the Gaza Strip. It’s commendable when, for example, Secretary of State Antony Blinken calls for a way to restore the path to a two-state solution.

But at the same time, it’s sobering when even the U.S., Israel’s closest ally, hasn’t been able to get the idea through to Israel, although Washington has emphasized many times that Israel has the right and duty to defend itself in order to prevent any further terror attacks such as the one on Oct. 7.

But for the people of Gaza, this means that the nightmare is far from over. It will take weeks, if not months, until the Israeli army can weaken Hamas both militarily and politically to such an extent as to ensure that it is no longer a threat to the Israeli people.

*Editor's Note: Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for a humanitarian pause in the war, not a cease-fire.

Kein Ende des Alptraums

US-Außenminister Blinken drängt Israels Ministerpräsident Netanjahu zwar zu Recht zu einer humanitären Feuerpause im Gazastreifen, dringt aber nicht durch. Ein Kommentar.

Es ist richtig, dass die US-Regierung nicht müde wird, den israelischen Ministerpräsidenten Benjamin Netanjahu zu einer humanitären Feuerpause im Gazastreifen zu drängen. Es ist lobenswert, wenn etwa Außenminister Antony Blinken mahnt, den Weg zu einer Zweistaatenlösung wiederherzustellen.

Es ist gleichzeitig ernüchternd, wenn selbst der engste Verbündete Israels nicht durchdringt, obwohl Washington immer wieder betont, dass Israel das Recht und auch die Pflicht zur Selbstverteidigung hat, um erneute Terrorangriffe wie am 7. Oktober zu verhindern.

Für die Menschen in Gaza bedeutet das, dass der Alptraum noch lange nicht enden wird. Es wird Wochen, wenn nicht Monate dauern, bis die israelische Armee so weit ist, die Hamas wie geplant militärisch und politisch so geschwächt zu haben, dass sie für die Menschen in Israel keine Gefahr mehr ist.

This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

Hot this week

Block title

India: Beyond the Blue Wave: American Voters Deliver the Reset the World Was Waiting for

November 7, 2026. Published in Firstpost

There was a massive disconnect between what Trump was telling Americans on their television screens and what they were experiencing in their everyday lives.

Ireland: Irish Examiner View: Donald Trump’s Republican Party Faces a Day of Reckoning

November 2, 2026. Published in Irish Examiner

Taiwan: Blue Wave Engulfs Trump

November 6, 2026. Published in UDN

Refusing to be yes-men to those in power is the correct path in the pursuit of democracy.

Ireland: Democrats Have Broken the Mold. Now They Must Follow Through

November 4, 2026. Published in Irish Examiner

Ireland: The Irish Times View on the US Midterms: Blue Wave Engulfs Trump

November 4, 2026. Published in Irish Times

Topics

China: Four ‘Surprises’ in the US Midterm Elections

November 8, 2026. Published in huanqiu

U.S. commentators said the result [of the midterms] had 'dramatically reshaped the balance of power in Washington."

Egypt: Trump Is Drowning in the Blue Flood

November 8, 2026. Published in Gate Ahram

Party identity is never a shield, and populist rhetoric, however strong its power to mobilize, does not last if promises go unfulfilled.

India: Beyond the Blue Wave: American Voters Deliver the Reset the World Was Waiting for

November 7, 2026. Published in Firstpost

There was a massive disconnect between what Trump was telling Americans on their television screens and what they were experiencing in their everyday lives.

Israel: US Election Results Send 1 Clear Message to Israeli Politics

November 7, 2026. Published in Israel Hayom

The new breed of Democrats is bad news for Israel.

Saudi Arabia: US Voters Care about the Rent, Not the War

November 7, 2026. Published in Arab News

Average voters do not primarily cast ballots for abstract strategic outcomes or distant conflicts; they vote to keep the lights on and the rent paid.

Kenya: Lessons from US Midterm Elections: What Young Africans Can Learn

November 7, 2026. Published in Nation

United Arab Emirates: Strengths and Weaknesses in the US

November 7, 2026. Published in Alkhaleej

[I]ts greatest flaw lies in moving the power of decision in presidential elections from the people ... to the Electoral College, whose members represent the states.