Kushner and Witkoff have arrived in Israel to talk demilitarization. I’m expecting a fight—and not with Hamas. Whoever wins the battle over demilitarization, that’s not the real test.
Israel’s position is clear: complete demilitarization, down to the last Kalashnikov, as a precondition for any withdrawal. Hamas, by contrast, is demanding that certain weapons—RPGs, for example—be recognized as “defensive arms.”
Caught in the middle are Witkoff and Kushner, eager to show diplomatic progress, even if that means a lighter demilitarization. Whether they manage to stretch the definitions enough to call an RPG a “defensive arm” will depend on getting Israel’s agreement. To do that, they’ll have to face down the right flank of Netanyahu’s cabinet—if not Bibi himself.
But that’s a bit of a distraction.
