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Ian Explains: Why Israel's Netanyahu continues to antagonize Biden on Gaza
What is Bibi thinking? Ian Bremmer explains on GZERO World.
As the Gaza war enters its seventh bloody month, leaders in Washington, Jerusalem, and Gaza are asking what is motivating Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu. And while we can't read his mind, we can follow what he's saying. "Our goal is to destroy the military and governing capabilities of Hamas in Gaza" Netanyahu recently said. "There is no substitute for victory."
Israel has launched over 30,000 airstrikes on Gaza since the war began on October 7, killing more than thirty thousand Palestinians, including 14,000 children. Meanwhile, over a hundred Israeli citizens remain Hamas hostages. And according to US intelligence, Israeli Defense Forces have only managed to destroy about 30% of Hamas leadership in those six months. Victory, in short, remains a long way off.
This leads back to the original question: What is Bibi thinking? Well, he's doing what he knows best: holding onto power. To remain prime minister, he must appease a governing coalition of hard-right religious nationalist parties that are resolutely opposed to a ceasefire, not to mention any long-term political settlement with the Palestinians. While the Gaza war is becoming increasingly unpopular internationally, within Israel, there remains a broad base of support for it. And finally, Netanyahu and Biden both know that regardless of internal frustrations, the US will continue to supply Israel with billions of dollars in military backing.
Catch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer every week on US public television (check local listings) and online.
- Netanyahu flirts with a lengthy stay in Gaza ›
- How Netanyahu used Hamas to avoid talks of a two-state solution ›
- Netanyahu’s failed Gaza strategy ›
- Friedman: Netanyahu is no longer at the wheel ›
- Yuval Noah Harari: Netanyahu's 'Deep State' fears enabled Oct 7 attack ›
- Israel-Hamas war: Netanyahu hostage to far-right coalition, says author Friedman - GZERO Media ›
- Author Thomas Friedman on how the Gaza war could end - GZERO Media ›
- Ukraine will define the future of NATO - GZERO Media ›
Friedman: Netanyahu is no longer at the wheel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu has said that the only way the war in Gaza will end is with the complete destruction of Hamas, the pro-Palestinian terrorist group that controls Gaza and was behind the October 7 attack.
But Pulitzer prize-winning author and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman argues that much of the horror that's played out in Gaza over the past six months goes back to a devil's bargain that Bibi has maintained with Hamas over the past fifteen years. "Netanyahu always understood that ... having a strong Hamas in Gaza is the best way to ensure a weak Palestinian Authority in the West Bank." In a wide-ranging interview for this week's episode of GZERO World, Ian Bremmer sits down with Friedman to try to chart out an imaginable (and palatable) ending to the Middle East's bloodiest war in years. "[Netanyahu] is now hostage to a far-right in his coalition that has told him that anything that smacks of a Palestinian state or even progress toward a Palestinian state...is a no-go. We'll throw you out of power.'"
So what can people do who consider themselves both pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian? "The most important thing you can do to be pro-Israeli, " Friedman tells Bremmer, "...is to be for the removal of Bibi Netanyahu by the Israeli people." And the most pro-Palestinian thing you can do? "Be against Hamas and for the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah....Because if that project succeeds or makes progress, many more things are possible in terms of what can happen between the Israelis and Palestinians."
Catch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer every week on US public television (check local listings) and online.
- Netanyahu: “Now is the time for war” ›
- Netanyahu escalates feud with the White House ›
- Yuval Noah Harari: Netanyahu's 'Deep State' fears enabled Oct 7 attack ›
- Netanyahu and Hamas both won, Israelis and Palestinians lost ›
- Why Israel's Netanyahu continues to antagonize Biden on Gaza - GZERO Media ›
- Israel-Hamas war: Netanyahu hostage to far-right coalition, says author Friedman - GZERO Media ›
- Author Thomas Friedman on how the Gaza war could end - GZERO Media ›
The New York migrant crisis up close
Since 2022, New York City has absorbed more than 170,000 migrants, mostly sent on buses by Texas officials from the US-Mexico border. Many of them are asylum-seekers who hail from South American countries facing political and economic upheaval, like Venezuela and El Salvador. But increasingly, people from Asia, western Africa, and the Caribbean have been making the difficult journey to the US via the southern border as well.
Unlike other so-called “sanctuary cities,” New York has a legal mandate, known as a consent decree, that requires the city to provide shelter to anyone who asks for it. But the already under-funded, under-resourced system is struggling to deal with the influx of so many people. Adding to the chaos, in October, the city changed its policy to require everyone in the shelter system to reapply for a bed every 30-60 days. For asylum seekers already trying to navigate byzantine legal and healthcare systems, the instability can have devastating consequences.
That’s why grassroots organizers like Power Malu of Artists Athletes Activists, Adama Bah of Afrikana, and Ilze Thielmann of TeamTLC have been stepping up to fill a major gap in the city’s immigration system: greeting arrivals, pointing them towards resources, providing food and clothing. Most crucially, they're help people understand their rights and apply for asylum, so they can get work permits and find permanent housing.
Speaking from the front lines of this crisis, the organizers say the city isn't fully meeting the needs of the migrants coming here, despite spending $1.45 billion on migrant costs alone in 2023. "The illusion is that they're in these beautiful hotels and they're getting all of these services and it's not true," Malu says, "That's why you have organizations like ours that have stepped up and had to change from welcoming to now doing case management, social services, helping them with mental health therapy."
GZERO’s Alex Kliment spent time on the ground with newly-arrived asylum-seekers and the volunteers to better understand the reality on the ground, how this current crisis getting so much national attention is functioning day to day, and if the city could be doing more to help.
GZERO has reached out to City Hall for comment and will update with any response.
Learn more about the organizations mentioned in this report:
Catch this full episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer on public television beginning this Friday, March 15. Check local listings.
Yuval Noah Harari on the perils of viewing Israel-Palestine through the 'victimhood' context
In a wide-ranging conversation with Ian Bremmer, filmed live at the historic 92nd Street Y in NYC, bestselling author Yuval Noah Harari discusses the profound role narratives play in conflict resolution and identity politics. It’s through this framing that Harari and Ian address the latest conflict between Israel and Gaza. Victimhood, Harari posits, often comes with an element of truth, but it carries the danger of absolving individuals or nations of responsibility. "If you think about yourself primarily as a victim, it relieves you of all responsibility," he explains.
Bremmer also presses Harari on the notion of narratives, and particularly, how to distinguish between patriotism and nationalism. Harari describes patriotism as the love for a unique group and a willingness to do more for them, akin to how we treat our families. Nationalism, however, turns perilous when it crosses into supremacism — when love for one's group becomes an excuse to despise and discriminate against others. Harari asserts, "It becomes dangerous when we start saying this group of people, they are not just unique. They are superior."
Harari defends the possibility of simultaneously supporting the rights and dignities of both Israelis and Palestinians. Holding dual narratives of both people's aspirations to live dignified lives in their homelands is not only possible but necessary, according to Harari. "Just because you are in favor of the rights of Palestinians doesn't mean you have to be also in favor of destroying Israel completely," he states.
Watch full episode: Yuval Noah Harari explains why the world isn't fair (but could be)
Catch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer every week online and on US public television. Check local listings.
Yuval Noah Harari explains why the world isn't fair (but could be)
In a wide-ranging conversation with Ian Bremmer, filmed live at the historic 92nd Street Y in NYC, bestselling author Yuval Noah Harari delves into the foundational role of storytelling in human civilization, the existential challenges posed by artificial intelligence, the geopolitical implications of the Ukraine war, and the most pressing questions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Harari argues that unlike other species, humans have thrived on their unique ability to construct and believe in shared stories, which has underpinned the formation of societies, governments, and laws. However, this same capability has led to wars, inequality, and exploitation. “Humans don't fight over territory and food,” Harari tells Bremmer. They fight over imaginary stories in their minds."
Harari and Ian discuss the current global crises, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as moments where humanity's collaborative superpower appears to falter. On the Ukraine war, he says that the implications of a Russian victory would spell the end of the global order as we know it. "We could already be in the midst of World War III that started on the 24th of February 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and we just don't know it yet."
They discuss AI's emerging role in creating and disseminating stories, which represents a new frontier. Harari warns that AI could eventually dominate the world's narratives, making democracy untenable and posing unprecedented challenges to both autocracies and democracies alike. "For the first time in history, we are losing power as a species at a very rapid pace, and similarly, we are also losing control of the stories that we believe."
He also specifically addresses the critical situation in Israel, criticizing government attempts to undermine democratic institutions and pointing to an ideological battle that risks altering the essence of Judaism and Israeli identity. Harari also stresses the importance of reconciling support for Palestinian rights with the defense of Israel's existence, challenging the narrative that these positions are inherently contradictory.
Catch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer every week online and on US public television. Check local listings.
- Modern antisemitism on the rise ›
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- Why human beings are so easily fooled by AI, psychologist Steven Pinker explains ›
- Steven Pinker shares his "relentless optimism" about human progress ›
- From CRISPR to cloning: The science of new humans ›
- Yuval Noah Harari: Netanyahu's 'Deep State' fears enabled Oct 7 attack ›
- Israel, Hamas and US in impasse over cease-fire deal - GZERO Media ›
Yuval Noah Harari: Netanyahu's 'Deep State' fears enabled Oct 7 attack
Author and historian Yuval Noah Harari believes that the Israeli government's policies under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu allowed for Hamas’ Oct 7 attack to be as deadly as it was. He points specifically to Netanyahu's efforts to undermine the judiciary and other democratic institutions.
“He was trying to systematically destroy the institutions of Israeli democracy,” Harari tells Ian Bremmer in a live interview at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. He links these domestic political maneuvers to the failure to heed warnings from military and intelligence services about external threats leading up to October 7, arguing that this negligence was influenced by conspiracy theories about a so-called “deep state.”
The problem, Harari says, goes deeper than Netanyahu. He talks about the ideological infighting within the Israeli government as a battle for the country's soul and for Judaism itself. He contrasts the principles of Zionism with those of a rising messianic movement that espouses Jewish supremacy, warning of the dire implications should this faction's vision of a deeply stratified society. “This will change the very meaning of Judaism all over the world.”
So what kind of outcome could both Israelis and Palestinians live with? Harari advocates for defending Israel's right to exist while also ensuring Palestinian rights. He rejects the notion that these positions are mutually exclusive, arguing for a future where both Israelis and Palestinians can live dignified lives within their homelands. “Just because you are in favor of the rights of Palestinians doesn’t mean you have to be also in favor of destroying Israel completely.”
Catch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer every week on US public television (check local listings) and online.
- How Netanyahu used Hamas to avoid talks of a two-state solution ›
- Netanyahu’s failed Gaza strategy ›
- Why the Israel-Hamas war is so divisive ›
- Ian Bremmer: Understanding the Israel-Hamas war ›
- Israel, Hamas and US in impasse over cease-fire deal - GZERO Media ›
- Why the world isn't fair: Yuval Noah Harari on AI, Ukraine, and Gaza - GZERO Media ›
- Israel's global image wanes further after killing of aid workers - GZERO Media ›
- Israel-Hamas war: Netanyahu hostage to far-right coalition, says author Friedman - GZERO Media ›
- Why Israel's Netanyahu continues to antagonize Biden on Gaza - GZERO Media ›
- Israel-Hamas war: Netanyahu hostage to far-right coalition, says author Friedman - GZERO Media ›
- What will Israel's invasion of Rafah look like? - GZERO Media ›
Argentina's economy will get a lot worse before it gets better
Ian Bremmer shares his insights on global politics this week on World In :60.
Will Israel and Hamas finally reach a hostage deal?
We keep hearing about this deal. We're now saying it's imminent, but imminent doesn't mean announced. And, you know, things can go wrong at the last minute still, where the details make it seem like this is going to happen. And what that means is not only we're going to see at least a few dozen Israeli women and children released and some Palestinians, also mostly women, it looks like, released as well from Israel, but that you'll get a temporary ceasefire in three days, five days, and maybe that leads to more diplomacy. It doesn't lead to Israel no longer attacking Hamas. Let's be clear. It's not an actual ceasefire, but it creates more space for people to be talking, especially talking with the Israelis, major leaders in the region. That is something we'll be watching very closely.
What does Javier Milei’s election mean for the future of Argentina?
Well look, it means that the Argentines were absolutely sick of the country falling apart and they were voting between a guy who said he was going to dollarized and get rid of a lot of the government and someone who represented economic policies that have driven the country into a ditch, 140% inflation and massive poverty and, you know, nobody investing and close to a default from the IMF. So, I mean, all of this is a disaster. But Milei, he doesn't have a single governor. He won't have a majority in Congress. He doesn't have an economic team. And his economic plans are mostly vaporware. So, I mean, this is not a country that has the ability to screw around for an awful lot. It's not like the United States in Afghanistan or Iraq. You make mistakes. But the economy is still great. Argentina is not Afghanistan, but they are in serious, serious trouble. And so, yeah, the economy is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. And we'll watch that. It's very expensive to dollarize by the way. And so that means you got to have to print a lot more. I suspect that this is going to be a lot more hardship on the backs of a lot of Argentines. Okay.
Happy Thanksgiving! What world leader has the most to be thankful for this holiday season?
What a hard thing. I mean, all leaders should be thankful because, you know, in principle, they're doing a hell of a lot better because they're representing their people and they should appreciate that and they should take that seriously. And a lot of them don't. But I guess I probably say Modi. Narendra Modi in India, because I mean, he is a very popular leader of the world's largest democracy, 1.4 billion people, the most populous country in the world, is pretty democratic. It's growing economically. It is a leader of the Global South, but it's also with increasingly stable relations with the United States, with Japan and with Europe. And Modi has accomplished a lot of that. So he has a lot to be thankful for. And he is not going anywhere anytime soon. So there's that.
Israel-Hamas War: The race to avert escalation in the Middle East
Ian Bremmer's Quick Take:A Quick Take to kick off what is going to be a very challenging week.
I mean, broad picture, everyone's attention now, of course, is on Israel, Palestine and the Middle East and trying to figure out how this war can be prevented from escalating, escalating badly in terms of deaths and humanitarian catastrophe for Gaza, almost certainly not possible right now. Also, in terms of limiting conflict to Gaza and not having it expand into the West Bank, into Lebanon and more broadly in the Middle East, hopefully plausible for now. Interesting point is that no one in the last ten days has asked me a thing about Ukraine or Russia the first time that that's happened in 20 months. And that's significant because in some ways this is one of the biggest implications of this fight, is that the United States is now all in for its principal ally in the Middle East, Israel. And the importance of Ukraine has become a fairly distant, still substantial but still fairly distant.
Number two, as a consequence of that, that's great news for Putin in Russia. Of course, it also comes as the Americans have become much more polarized on the issue of providing additional support to Ukraine. What does that mean? Well, briefly, it means that Ukraine is increasingly going to have the capacity to fight a defensive war. But not a counteroffensive war against Russia. And that means much harder to take any additional territory back.
Certainly the way this is going to play out over the next 6, 12 months will be harder for the Europeans and harder to maintain a strong and cohesive, unified NATO policy. Back to the Middle East. What we are looking at is, of course, a conflict that affects every Israel citizen in ways that are almost unimaginable for those of us commenting on it outside of the country, less than 10 million people, well over 1300 civilians, mostly civilians dead, but also 360,000 Israelis called up reservists, called to fight. In other words, about 4% of the entire Israel population is going to be directly engaged in this war. Almost unimaginable, the impact that's going to have on literally every single Israeli citizens. So, yes, you have now a unified emergency war cabinet. You also have the entire country laser focused on doing everything possible to ensure national security and to respond as strongly as possible against Hamas.
The level of support from the United States for that is close to 100%. Indeed, so much so that there is very little focus on trying to push the Israelis to limit humanitarian costs as a consequence. The US is doing a lot to try to help on the humanitarian side with the Egyptians, with Gulf states, trying to get humanitarian aid in, trying to ensure that there is an open safe passage for that aid at the border between Gaza and Egypt.
That's very different from anything that's going to limit the level of Israeli response against Hamas and therefore against the civilians in Gaza. Over the course of this week, that is, of course, going to be the story that will get the most attention. The fact is that you have 2.3 million civilians in Gaza. About a million of them are already displaced.
This was not a wealthy territory before the war started. It was abysmal and inhumane. We're talking about 50% of the population that doesn't have access to appropriate food. 90% doesn't have clean water. That was before ten days of bombing. And now you're going to have a ground occupation. I don't know exactly when that's going to start, but certainly it is coming relatively soon and it is unavoidable. The impact of that on Palestinian civilians is going to be immense, not least because Hamas itself wants to put those civilians at risk. Hamas operating in civilian areas, roadblocks preventing Palestinian civilians from fleeing, even as the attacks from Israel are going to be imminent. In other words, you've got 199 hostages that are presently being held by Hamas from Israel and other countries. You've got millions of Palestinian civilians that are being held hostage by Hamas, and those civilians are at risk and many of them will be injured. Many of them will die. That is a reality, an incredibly tragic reality of this situation in the coming weeks. Certainly, the fact that the Americans are as engaged as they are diplomatically, I think will help to ensure that more humanitarian aid comes and comes quickly, will also help behind the scenes in maybe reducing some of the civilian damage that comes from Israeli military attacks. After all, that did get the water reopened to the south from Israel and has helped to slow the timeline after a 24-hour announcement from Israel that ground operations were imminent. But ultimately, given the role that Hamas is playing as a terrorist organization, putting their population intentionally at risk, there is only so much that the United States, Europe or anyone else is going to be able to do.
That's where we stand right now. I have there's very little positive news to talk about coming from this region. Perhaps the only thing positive to say that is significant is that the likelihood that Iran gets directly involved in this war seems to me very, very low indeed, at least in the near term. Why? Because they weren't involved in orchestrating the attacks, because they do not want to be a part of the war directly. And every statement I've seen that's meaningful from Iranian leadership points in that direction, also because the Americans and more importantly, the Israelis believe that the Iranians were not involved in orchestrating attacks and they do not want the Iranians directly involved either.
Doesn't mean it can't happen. If you open the Hezbollah front, if the attacks that we've already seen and deaths on both side of the border there start increasing, the potential this becomes a broader proxy war in the region Iran gets involved is real, but near-term it won't. The reason that's critically important right now, everyone in the world is focused on this issue. But unlike the Russia-Ukraine war, which had massive economic impact on the world because of the supply chain disruptions, the higher cost for fuel, the significantly higher costs for food and for fertilizer. Here, if Iran is involved in the war, it's $150 oil. It's a global recession. It's very likely Trump becomes president in 2025. Short of that, the economic implications for the rest of the world, least the direct implications, are actually very low. And the knock on diplomatic implications, the geopolitical implications, those are more significant and long lasting. Those are the ones we're going to be dealing with for a much longer time.
That's it for me for now. And I'll talk to you all real soon.
- Ian Bremmer: Understanding the Israel-Hamas war ›
- Israel prepares to destroy Hamas, come what may ›
- Podcast: The war between Israel and Hamas and its unfathomable human toll ›
- Hamas attacks in Israel ignite war ›
- Biden's Middle East visit buys time for diplomacy - GZERO Media ›
- Can the EU get aid to Gaza? - GZERO Media ›
- What we know (and don't know) about Iran's role in the Israel-Hamas war - GZERO Media ›
- Israel-Hamas war: America's tightrope walk - GZERO Media ›
- Podcast: What's the US role in the Israel-Hamas war? Views from Sen. Chris Murphy & Rep. Mike Waltz - GZERO Media ›
- Israel-Hamas War: Can the US count on its Arab allies? - GZERO Media ›
- Israel’s geopolitical missteps in Gaza - GZERO Media ›
- Israel, Hamas, and Hezbollah: Fears of escalation grow - GZERO Media ›
- Israel-Hamas war: West Bank raid won't derail cease-fire - GZERO Media ›