“A Top Hamas Leader Is Killed in Iran” (NYT):
Ismail Haniyeh, one of the most senior Hamas leaders, was assassinated in Iran, the country’s Revolutionary Guards Corps and Hamas said on Wednesday, a severe blow to the Palestinian group that threatens to engulf the region in further conflict.
Without this mostly peaceful man there could be “further conflict”, say the experts at the New York Times. If Ismail Haniyeh had lived there would be peace for our time.
The man was a “leader”. He was “a key figure in … negotiations” (i.e., a negotiator and certainly not someone we might expect to endorse violence). According to the New York Times, he was a nonviolent person killed by a violent nation.
Why do you expect negotiators not to endorse violence? one could endorse violence, and then negotiate to stop it, or endorse violence to start negotiations from a perceived stronger position, with the option or resuming or escalating it. Both are tools in getting something, and can be used by the same person in different degrees and at different times to achieve the same goal.
Federico: I’m sure that you’re right in a tribal warfare situation (unknown in mostly peaceful pre-Columbian North America, but think back to pre-Roman Europe). The chief could be both warrior and negotiator. But for a present-day American audience, these roles are separated (the U.S. government is a big bureaucracy).
Phil, I understand you are talking about two tribes at war? In fact, isn’t Bibi Sayeret Matkal?
Why surprise? Has little to do with Bibi’s character. Israel declared rigght away that it will hunt down perpetrators of 10/07 massacre, similar how it hunted down perpetrators of Munich massacre down, independently of any negotiations.
Ironically, had the victim remained in countries more friendly to the West and/or Israel, say Qatar or Turkey*, he would have been safe[r]. Visiting somewhere like Iran, a prime operating location for Israeli assassins, was a really poor life choice.
* As long as he didn’t criticise MBS, known to risk involuntary dismemberment.
He rode into Dodge, but he was all hat and no cattle.
Netanyahu correctly realized that no one is in charge of the executive branch of the Federal govt and thus now was the time to act. In other news the 911 attackers in USA custody are getting plea deals.