No, Bibi is not the flip side of Hamas

There’s a lot of slime being slung around surrounding the divergent views that Israel and the US have over the continuation of the Gaza war.

Foremost is the notion, proliferating both here and in the US, that if only Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was out of the picture, there would be no more impediments to reaching a ceasefire and a deal to release the hostages being held by Hamas. What a crock!

Granted, Netanyahu is a divisive figure, and Israel would be far better off in its effort to heal a fractured society if he resigned now instead of waiting to be pushed out following a post-war state inquiry.

Many don’t trust him or believe his motives. There are growing questionable theories, whether emanating from leftwing cranks or political opponents like Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon, that he’s creating a crisis with the US or digging in for a prolonged campaign in Rafah simply to stay in power and keep his coalition together and that he’s sacrificing the hostages in the process.

However, the basic tenets that he espouses hold weight, regardless of his motives.

A campaign in Rafah remains the only way to finish off the remaining Hamas fighters and leaders and bring them to their knees. Without it, Hamas will remain in power and, in a matter of months or years, will be ready for another deadly and brutal assault on Israel.

Likewise, the UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire independent of a hostage release emboldens Hamas to reject any package that’s presented to achieve such a ceasefire. Netanyahu and members of his war cabinet, like Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, said at the outset that the war in Gaza could take months or more than a year and would require determination and patience. There was no quick fix promised.

Those Israelis who breathlessly bellow “Bibi” and “Hamas” in the same breath as