> The leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, has become fatalistic after nearly a year of war in Gaza and is determined to see Israel embroiled in a wider regional conflict, U.S. officials said. > > Mr. Sinwar has long believed he will not survive the war, a view that has hindered negotiations to secure the release of hostages seized by his group in the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, according to U.S. intelligence assessments. > > His attitude has hardened in recent weeks, U.S. officials say, and American negotiators now believe that Hamas has no intention of reaching a deal with Israel. > > Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has also rejected proposals in the negotiations and added positions that have complicated the talks. U.S. officials assess that he is mainly concerned about his political survival and might not think a cease-fire in Gaza is in his interests. > > Hamas has shown no desire at all to engage in talks in recent weeks, U.S. officials say. They suspect that Mr. Sinwar has grown more resigned as Israeli forces pursue him and talk about closing in on him. > > A larger war that puts pressure on Israel and its military would, in Mr. Sinwar’s assessment, force them to scale back operations in Gaza, the U.S. officials said.
Having grown up in a Christian fundamentalist environment, what I’ve noticed about my fellow western commentators is that in general that they have no concept of true religious commitment.
Western commentators intend well, but they are fatally deluded that everyone is just one quality heart-to-heart conversation away from a pragmatic solution.
What they miss is that for fundamentalists of any religion, their dogmatic discipline is the point. It gives them value, and bluntly, superiority.
Could the same be said of segments of the Israeli population? Sure. But Israel has lived in peace with Egypt and Jordan for decades. In the global sense, they are not a threat to la secular live-and-let-live ethos. And even in the most anti-Semitic fever dream, the Jewish people have neither the numbers or the religious framework to convert millions to “the one true religion.”
So we are left with well-intentioned people hoping that it’s all some sort of understanding while people liken Nasrallah double-down on the only thing in their life that might give it meaning. And in my view, any analysis that doesn’t consider this is, at best, naive. And at worst, it is willfully self-delusional.
if the guy thinks that, he may be critically diluting himself as to Iran’s capabilities. the situation has changed, other arab states dont like Iran and are pretty happy to let Israel degrade Iran’s resources.
3 comments
> The leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, has become fatalistic after nearly a year of war in Gaza and is determined to see Israel embroiled in a wider regional conflict, U.S. officials said.
>
> Mr. Sinwar has long believed he will not survive the war, a view that has hindered negotiations to secure the release of hostages seized by his group in the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, according to U.S. intelligence assessments.
>
> His attitude has hardened in recent weeks, U.S. officials say, and American negotiators now believe that Hamas has no intention of reaching a deal with Israel.
>
> Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has also rejected proposals in the negotiations and added positions that have complicated the talks. U.S. officials assess that he is mainly concerned about his political survival and might not think a cease-fire in Gaza is in his interests.
>
> Hamas has shown no desire at all to engage in talks in recent weeks, U.S. officials say. They suspect that Mr. Sinwar has grown more resigned as Israeli forces pursue him and talk about closing in on him.
>
> A larger war that puts pressure on Israel and its military would, in Mr. Sinwar’s assessment, force them to scale back operations in Gaza, the U.S. officials said.
Having grown up in a Christian fundamentalist environment, what I’ve noticed about my fellow western commentators is that in general that they have no concept of true religious commitment.
Western commentators intend well, but they are fatally deluded that everyone is just one quality heart-to-heart conversation away from a pragmatic solution.
What they miss is that for fundamentalists of any religion, their dogmatic discipline is the point. It gives them value, and bluntly, superiority.
Could the same be said of segments of the Israeli population? Sure. But Israel has lived in peace with Egypt and Jordan for decades. In the global sense, they are not a threat to la secular live-and-let-live ethos. And even in the most anti-Semitic fever dream, the Jewish people have neither the numbers or the religious framework to convert millions to “the one true religion.”
So we are left with well-intentioned people hoping that it’s all some sort of understanding while people liken Nasrallah double-down on the only thing in their life that might give it meaning. And in my view, any analysis that doesn’t consider this is, at best, naive. And at worst, it is willfully self-delusional.
if the guy thinks that, he may be critically diluting himself as to Iran’s capabilities. the situation has changed, other arab states dont like Iran and are pretty happy to let Israel degrade Iran’s resources.