Israel drove suitcases stuffed with cash into Gaza to keep Hamas in power: NYT
www.businessinsider.com
Israeli security officials would escort Qatari representatives into Gaza to deliver the cash to Hamas, the New York Times reported.

Israeli officials are facing backlash after years of Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu quietly allowing Hamas to remain in power.

But reporting in the New York Times has revealed that Netanyahu’s government was more hands-on about helping Hamas: they helped a Qatari diplomat bring suitcases of cash into Gaza, indirectly boosting the militant organization, according to the report.

The calculus — the Times reported on Sunday, citing Israeli officials, Netanyahu’s critics, and the man’s own reported statements — was to keep Hamas strong enough to counteract the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, allowing Netanyahu to avoid a two-state peace solution and keep both sides weak.

Israeli security officials got it wrong; they didn’t think Hamas was capable, or even interested, in launching a large attack against the Jewish state.

  • SuddenDownpour@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    38·
    11 months ago

    In 2018, Netanyahu’s administration came up with a plan, according to the New York Times. As part of a peace agreement with Hamas, Qatar would bring millions into Gaza to distribute to Gazan families, the outlet reported. (…)

    Though the money was meant for Gazan civilians, Western intelligence determined that Hamas was taking money from the funds to use themselves, the outlet reported.

    Let’s take this at face value. 1) Why has Israeli media decried all sort of help towards Gaza Palestinians as “financing terrorism” if Netanyahu was willing to send them money himself? 2) If the Israeli government wanted to provide financial support to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, why not make the peace deal public? Why not establish criteria of transparency to make sure that the money got where it should have? 3) If you’re willing to send money to Gaza, why not send the required supplies yourself, when you’re the main country blockading it?

    If we accept the narrative of the article, it is like Israel wanted the money to be misused.

    • Dkarma@lemmy.worldEnglish
      323·
      11 months ago

      Israel is set to wipe Gaza off the map. Of course they wanted the money to be misused.

      Does everybody not understand Israel’s goal is to eliminate Gaza and the West bank and replace them with Israeli settlements? They’ve been doing it for years.

      • nforminvasion@lemmy.worldEnglish
        31·
        11 months ago

        No not everybody does understand that. When we cry genocide they really don’t understand that is EXACTLY what is happening. We’re not just throwing the word around. They are killing and ousting a people group, that is two forms of genocode

      • mrcleanup@lemmy.worldEnglish
        22·
        11 months ago

        They made a blood tithe they feel can never be repaid. Compared to that it’s pretty clear they see all this *waves hand around* as trivial amounts of collateral damage.