Dear MEPIN Readers,
In my ILTV interview, I addressed the false and malicious claims that Israel is deliberately starving Gazans as part of a strategy of genocide and ethnic cleansing. Emotional imagery often outweighs facts, and even Israel’s closest allies in Congress and President Trump are adopting a more critical tone.
On ceasefire negotiations, Hamas has little incentive to compromise. The international community is effectively doing its bidding—delegitimizing Israel while pushing for a Palestinian state. Netanyahu now faces critical decisions:
• Prioritize keeping his coalition intact or preserving the essential U.S.-Israel relationship. Israel is now belatedly flooding Gaza with food, undercutting Hamas’s black market.
• Withdraw from Gaza civilian areas while maintaining a buffer zone and continue to control the Philadelphi Corridor without allowing any rebuilding within the strip.
• Or, dangerously move toward annexation—echoing the extreme demands of Smotrich and Ben-Gvir.Bottom line: Israel’s global image and its relationship with the U.S. are core national security interests. With a war-weary American and Israeli public, fading hope for hostage returns, and continued ideological support for Hamas among Gazans, Israel stands at a critical inflection point. — Eric