Despite intensive diplomatic efforts, and double-teaming by the President and VP. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu kept Israeli red lines without compromising Israeli security, insisting on total Hamas defeat. Special envoy Witkoff cancels Doha trip amid stalled negotiations. The Israeli delegation returned. Meanwhile, Gaza is being flattened as more D9s arrive in Israel. The ground is being prepared for the Riviera.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left Washington late Tuesday night without holding a press conference, shaking hands for the cameras, or announcing any breakthrough. The silence surrounding his departure was deliberate. Behind closed doors, Netanyahu had made clear to the Americans: Israel’s war goals are unchanged, and they are non-negotiable.
In a firm video statement from Blair House, Netanyahu laid it out: “We are not letting up for a moment. We are continuing to insist on achieving all the goals of the war: the release of all our hostages, both living and deceased; the destruction of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities; and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.”
According to U.S. insiders, the administration believed Netanyahu might be politically vulnerable—and more open to American proposals. Instead, they encountered a Prime Minister who had done his calculations and would not be moved. “It was a charm offensive,” said one senior U.S. official. “But Bibi didn’t come to be charmed. He came to set boundaries.”
The B-2 Mezuzah: Symbol and Statement
As a gesture of solidarity—but also symbolism—Netanyahu presented President Trump with a unique gift: a mezuzah forged from the fragments of Iranian missile parts that had been intercepted over Israel. The mezuzah casing, shaped to echo the form of a B-2 stealth bomber, was etched with the Shema prayer and lined with parchment salvaged from a Torah scroll damaged in a Hamas rocket attack.
The message was unmistakable: spiritual resilience joined with military might, crafted from the enemy’s own weapons—and presented to the one ally Israel trusts to understand both.
A Nobel Nod Amid the Fire
The visit also carried an unexpected recognition. Netanyahu’s name had been formally submitted for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. The nomination, initiated by an American lawmaker and backed by European parliamentarians, cites his expansion of the Abraham Accords, his defense of Israel’s sovereignty under direct attack, and his efforts to reforge regional stability while standing firm against terrorism.
While Netanyahu has not commented on the nomination, Israeli officials noted the timing: just as he faced enormous pressure to concede, the world quietly acknowledged that leadership is not always about appeasement—but about endurance.
Ceasefire Talks Narrow—But Hit a Wall
Despite the high-level meetings, no final ceasefire framework was achieved. U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had been scheduled to fly to Doha to finalize arrangements with Qatari intermediaries—but abruptly canceled the trip after Netanyahu’s meetings.
According to sources close to the talks, four key obstacles had been narrowed to one. But that last hurdle—over the scope of Israeli redeployment in Gaza and the identity of Palestinian prisoners to be released—proved immovable.
Hamas has demanded full Israeli withdrawal from critical corridors, including the southern Morag-Rafah axis. Netanyahu refused, citing strategic necessity.
The Morag Corridor: A Line in the Sand
At the heart of the standoff is a narrow but vital strip: the Morag Corridor, which connects Israeli forces to the southern edge of Gaza near Rafah. Once part of the Gush Katif settlement bloc, Morag was evacuated in the 2005 disengagement—but today, it serves as a lifeline for Israel’s control over smuggling routes from Egypt.
U.S. officials urged a partial withdrawal from this area as a goodwill measure. Netanyahu pushed back. “We will not leave the back door open for Hamas to rearm,” a senior Israeli security source told reporters. “Every corridor matters. We paid in blood to get there.”
Domestic Heat, International Chill
Back in Israel, opposition leader Yair Lapid accused Netanyahu of using Morag and similar positions as excuses to stall a deal. “He’s hiding behind tactical corridors while our hostages remain in Gaza,” Lapid said. “This war must end with their return—not with more delays.”
Yet within the IDF, the sentiment is different. Officials believe Hamas is faltering, with its command structure fractured and its capabilities diminished. Continuing military pressure, they argue, is essential leverage—not a liability. But there is strong concern about not endangering the hostages.
Netanyahu appears to agree. And his refusal to yield to American pressure is viewed by many in the security establishment as a sign of strategic consistency, not obstinance.
Strategic Horizons: Beyond Gaza
While Gaza dominated the headlines, Netanyahu’s meetings also addressed broader regional strategy. Talks reportedly covered expanding the Abraham Accords, countering Iranian proxies in Syria and Lebanon, and boosting U.S.–Israeli intelligence cooperation. The Prime Minister emphasized that any post-war roadmap must include full regional containment of Iran and a clear rejection of Hamas-style extremism.
“There are new opportunities to expand the circle of peace,” Netanyahu told a small group of Jewish leaders. “But only after we have shown that terror will never win.”
The Message Behind the Silence
Netanyahu’s quiet departure from the White House—with no joint press conference and no final handshake—was itself a message. This was not diplomacy as usual. This was Israel making clear that it will not be maneuvered into a tactical ceasefire that leaves Hamas breathing.
The canceled Doha trip confirmed it: without Netanyahu’s consent, no deal is moving forward. And he made that consent contingent on one thing—victory, not compromise.
What Comes Next?
With roughly 52 hostages still held in Gaza and an estimated 20 believed to be alive, the humanitarian clock continues to tick. The Biden administration remains committed to securing their release, but for now, the ball is back in Hamas’s court. Israeli troops continue to press forward, and the military campaign remains active.
Netanyahu has shown no signs of stepping back. His visit to Washington was not a retreat. It was a reminder—to friend and foe alike—that Israel will fight on its own terms, not under artificial deadlines.
Meanwhile, a massive shipment of Caterpillar D9s have arrived in Haifa to reinforce efforts to complete the destruction of whole swathes of Gaza and prepare the way for the huge reconstruction of the Trump Gaza Initiative to come.
(I’ll give this 1 more try before I put it up on Facebook and X.)
Virtual Jerusalem provided this commentary without giving attribution to its author.
And there are two glaring errors, one of fact, the other of ignoring a basic assumption.
The error of fact is the reference to “The Biden administration”as opposed to the current Trump administration. The other is the absence of any mention of the morally-supported basis of the Israeli aggressive persistence of military actions in pursuit of Hamas operatives. The missing basis for continued military action is the fact that Israel was the recipient of a surprise killing attack planned and carried out by Hamas. Since that attack, Israel has responded with a persistent pursuit of Hamas combatants with the stated goals of eliminating Hamas combatants and achieving the return of all Israeli hostages. Rarely mentioned by all those interested in a cease of hostilities is the obvious option of a Hamas surrender and return of all hostages. (Imagine, were the US the recipient of a surprise attack, they would aggressively pursue the attackers and demand the return of all hostages. The US would be unlikely to be receptive to outsiders’ suggestions that any response be limited – “proportional”!)
The mistaken reference to Biden was corrected. There was no lack of attribution, just an error fixed. The rest of your comment is fine. If you want to repeat it without references to the corrected mistake, go for it.
Yhvh God bless Bibi Netanyahu! He knows these enemies far too well, Trump and Vance, along with the rest of the western leaders whining for the Gazans’ “safety” and ignoring the threat they are to Israelis, either don’t know, or don’t care. It has to be FINISHED, and ceasefire doesn’t do that; it just prolongs the agony for all.