JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reversed his decision to cancel a top-level delegation to Washington.
The reversal means the U.S. and Israel will continue their face-off over Israel’s planned military invasion to remove the last four Hamas battalions from the Gazan stronghold in Rafah.
After the U.S. refused to veto Monday’s U.N. Security Council Gaza resolution, Netanyahu canceled a planned visit to Washington of two war cabinet officials. It was a way to let Hamas know such resolutions wouldn’t pressure Israel into ending the war or giving up on the fight for the Hamas-held hostages.
“There was a message first and foremost to Hamas: ‘Don’t bet on this pressure. It’s not going to work,” Netanyahu explained.
Now that the prime minister’s message has been sent, he’s okayed the delegation’s visit, which has been rescheduled.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman told CBN News the refusal of the U.S. to veto that U.N. resolution aided Israel’s enemies.
“Hamas was celebrating this,” Friedman stated. “Ismail Haniya from Hamas traveled to Tehran to do a victory lap, you know, with the mullahs (Iran’s top leadership) about this. I mean, this was considered a victory for Hamas. Now, any U.N. resolution that’s a victory for Hamas
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