00:00For more, let's bring in former Pentagon official and senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, Brent Sadler, and former U.S. Secret Service officer, emergency response team at the White House under the Bush and Obama administrations, Barry Denadio.
00:15Gentlemen, thank you for joining us today.
00:18Now, you heard that soundbite earlier, the president telling the press that there may be a deal, a deal for Gaza.
00:27This is going to be discussed on Monday at the White House.
00:31Brent, your initial thoughts to this?
00:34Yeah, I mean, the question is, how does Hamas react and does that actually derail the whole effort?
00:40And I think as the IDF is currently engaged in operations in Gaza, I don't think that slows.
00:46In fact, I think Hamas is probably going to become irrelevant in the very near future, and that opens the door for a new approach.
00:53And that's really what's needed, a new approach that involves partners through the Abraham Accords.
00:57It's a new tool, a new diplomatic lever, and maybe something that the Israeli people can accept and certainly the Palestinians need.
01:04Yeah, but let's talk about the deal a little bit, Barry.
01:07How likely do you think Netanyahu is to accept the deal, and how likely is the other side, Hamas?
01:13I mean, do you think they would actually follow through with the president's demands?
01:17I agree with Brent.
01:18You know, everything he said was correct.
01:20You know, this rests on the dismantling of Hamas, bottom line.
01:25They're going to have to cease to exist as an armed militia and no longer be in politics, at least in Gaza.
01:32So I don't see this coming to a termination until that happens and Israel gets its hostages back.
01:38But, you know, Hamas doesn't really hold any cards anymore.
01:41And like Brent said, they don't really have any significance in this negotiation because Israel's going in regardless.
01:48They're going to go into Gaza City, and they're going to do what they need to do to get the hostages back.
01:54So I think at this point, Hamas has a choice.
01:56They can give the hostages back and negotiate being alive, or they can fight this, which we know the other result.
02:04And then also Gaza City is literally going to be leveled while the Israelis are trying to find the hostages.
02:10Interesting.
02:11Now, Brent, this war, we know it is coming up on its three-year anniversary.
02:15We have heard of past deals and ceasefires, certainly, but those have barely lasted, you know, 24 hours.
02:20What's going to be different here to suggest that this will actually, that the warring sides would actually follow through?
02:27Well, I think the big thing is the biggest benefactor to a lot of these groups is Iran,
02:32and it's been knocked back on its heels.
02:35The fact that Hezbollah and the Houthis are largely neutered or neutralized is another important factor
02:42that gives Israel more diplomatic and military freedom.
02:46And Hamas, of course, has been decimated but still unrelenting.
02:50But again, their reach has been greatly constrained.
02:53And again, the most important is the change through the Abraham Accords
02:56and the fact that many Middle Eastern countries view Israel as a potential economic as well as a diplomatic partner
03:03as they deal with the dangers of Iran and what we're seeing now as a new Cold War.
03:08It certainly is not a continuation of the past, you know, confrontation and resistance to an Israel
03:14that probably just wants to see a better future for themselves
03:17and certainly doesn't care if the Palestinians do the same as long as it doesn't threaten Israelis.
03:22Yeah, let's talk more about Bibi's address at the UN, where he is, look, he's a seasoned diplomat
03:31and he's incredibly good on the world stage and he's captivating in the way he delivers his addresses.
03:36One of the things that he does like to use to really get his point across
03:40is comparisons for the rest of the world to see how they would feel if they were in his situation.
03:46And this is one that he made. Take a listen.
03:48Giving the Palestinians a state one mile from Jerusalem after October 7th
03:55is like giving al-Qaeda a state one mile from New York City after September 11th.
04:01This is sheer madness. It's insane. And we won't do it.
04:07So, Barry, when you hear, you know, stuff like that, do you think that, like, this is a political thing to say,
04:16but, of course, when you've got the rest of the Western world now supporting and saying that they're declaring a Palestinian state,
04:22do you think giving comparisons like that is going to have any effect on how they move forward here?
04:29Very compelling speech. And that was a high point for me when I was watching it.
04:34And Benjamin Netanyahu is brilliant. He speaks English perfectly.
04:39And he's saying things in a way that us Americans can understand and put it into terms the way Israel thinks.
04:47So, you know, I don't want al-Qaeda one mile away from New York just like they don't want that.
04:53So I agree with him. And, you know, there's another thing.
04:57We have a lot of these nations that walked out on his speech, wouldn't even listen to him.
05:00Mm hmm. There's no mention of the hostages by any of them.
05:04It's a new sick phenomenon, really, that they've been infected with as far as, well,
05:10we're just going to dismiss that Hamas is holding hostages and this is all Israel's fault somehow.
05:16Yeah, it's just no matter where they go, whatever angle they take, it doesn't seem to be going in their favor ever.
05:23But anyway, Brent, Barry, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate having you on.
