Bernard Spiegal

At time of writing, the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel is nominally agreed. ‘Nominally’: Israel, as ever, has conjured pretexts that call into question what was but moments ago cause for cautious, celebratory feelings among both the Palestinians of Gaza and the families and friends of the Israeli hostages – achievement of a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.

Again, at time of writing, though Netanyahu has postponed this morning’s (Thursday 16 January) planned Cabinet meeting that was to endorse the agreement, I’m assuming it will ultimately be endorsed. Although he has to take account of odious, racist members of the government coalition, for example and notoriously, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, he has a Cabinet/Parliamentary majority that will see the deal through.

Why wouldn’t Netanyahu and his coalition not sign it? The commitment to the ceasefire, and any sort of long-term, equitable settlement of Palestinian/Israel issues, in betting terms bottoms out at somewhere close to that quantity known as ‘zilch’.

Netanyahu feels able to sign the ceasefire precisely because, pragmatically, that is what is required at the moment. His signature binds him to nothing other than his own political survival.

As to what is to occur ‘the day after’ i.e. the long-term governance of Gaza, that has yet to be addressed. Which is the same as saying it probably won’t be. At least not in any way that will meet the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, be they in Gaza, the West Bank or East Jerusalem.

Trump may have turned the screws on Netanyahu in respect of achieving the simulacrum of an Israel-Hamas ceasefire, but that is not an indication of a commitment to pushing for a longer-term equitable resolution of Palestine/Israel issues. Trump’s recent appointments to cabinet posts are a better indication of his direction of travel.

His ambassador to Israel is the fanatical Christian Zionist,Mike Huckabee. He has openly said he refuses to use the words ‘West Bank’ and calls the territory ‘Judea and Samaria’ instead. Joining him is another Christian Zionist fanatic, the new Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles. And Trump’s appointed Middle East envoy is Steven Witkoff, a staunch Zionist of Jewish descent.

What more could Smotrich, Ben-Givr, Netanyahu and their constituencies want?

Hold fast to a wider focus

The focus has been on Gaza, but for long we should have been paying more attention – not to the detriment of also focusing on Gaza! -to what Israel is doing in the rest of the OPT. In a nutshell, the Israeli, Jewish supremacist, fascists – there really is no other way of describing them – settlers, their IDF accomplices, politicians, including, obviously those in government, are determined to enact their Greater Israel aspirations. The aspirations can only be achieved by the application of consistent and brutal violence – an aptitude in which Israel has demonstrated its alarming competence.

Gramsci’s formula

The immediate time is not good for the Palestinian cause. But this cannot be allowed to be a final assessment, still less excuse to slacken our resolve to support Palestinian personhood, and their right to dwell as free persons in the land between the river and the sea.

The by now famous Gramsci formula comes to mind: It is a time when it is inevitable that we can be no other than pessimists of the intellect. But, with more force, we must be optimists of the will, bending our world toward justice.