Jamal Kanj
CounterPunch / March 21, 2025
Earlier this month I wrote that Benjamin Netanyahu’s resumption of the war of genocide in Gaza was never a matter of “if”, but “when.” The early morning massacres of over 1000 injured or murdered civilians on March 18 and 19 was described as an Israeli “tactic to force” the Palestinian Resistance to renegotiate the terms of the existing ceasefire agreement.
Throughout modern history, treaties and agreements have served as the foundation of international diplomacy, establishing a framework of mutual commitments. However, Israel has uniquely positioned itself as the only nation that consistently renegotiates agreements—often unilaterally—while blaming the other party for refusing to accept its ever-changing terms.
Israel’s approach has been marked by a predictable strategy: secure an agreement, later insist on altering its terms, and then accuse the Palestinians of obstruction when they refuse to comply with the revised conditions. This tactic has been a recurring feature in nearly every accord brokered by the U.S. between Israel and other parties.
Take, for example, the 1993 Oslo Accords, which were meant to establish a framework for a two-state solution, with Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) recognizing each other. However, Israel has since unilaterally altered its commitments—expanding illegal Jewish-only colonies and imposing restrictions that undermine the agreement’s original intent. For over 30 years since Oslo, successive Israeli governments have repeatedly insisted on re-negotiating previously agreed-upon issues after every election. When Palestinian leaders refuse to concede, they are labelled as obstacles to peace, perpetuating an endless cycle of negotiations with no end in sight.
In fact, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir openly admitted this strategy in a 1992 interview, stating that he would stall negotiations while expanding Jewish-only colonies on Palestinian land, creating irreversible facts on the ground, and ultimately altering the demographics of the West Bank.
The same when American President George W Bush proposed a so-called Roadmap to Peace in 2003, adopted by the United States, United Nations, European Union, Russia and was accepted by the Palestinian Authority. The plan outlined a phased approach to ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yet, Israel imposed new preconditions demanding Palestinians to recognize Israel, yet again, but now as a Jewish state. When Palestinians objected to the new Israeli demands, they were blamed for the lack of progress on the Roadmap.
Most recently, Israel did the same in Lebanon when refusing to withdraw fully within the stipulated 60 days under the US- and French-mediated agreement. Ditto when it violated existing agreements with Syria in the north.
The Israeli strategy extends beyond merely altering agreements—it is a calculated effort left unchallenged by Western Media and governments—to shift blame onto the Palestinians and other negotiating parties. This diplomatic gaslighting serves two primary functions: justifying Israeli breaches of agreements and delegitimizing the opposing side’s grievances.
Israel’s ability to repeatedly violate agreements while deflecting blame is largely enabled by unconditional U.S. support and a complacent international community. As a result, Israel pursues its objectives with little regard for consequences. This unwavering diplomatic and financial backing shields Israel from accountability, allowing it to act with impunity. Despite its violations of international law and repeated breaches of agreements, Israel faces little to no repercussions. This dynamic not only emboldens Israel but also makes the diplomatic process aimless and the U.S. role worthless.
After securing the release of the maximum number of Israeli captives under phase one of the current ceasefire agreement, Netanyahu has actively sought to provoke the Palestinian Resistance into responding to Israeli violations. First, by blocking food and medical aid from reaching the besieged Strip, and second, by escalating daily attacks that have killed scores of civilians. The latest escalation was last Saturday, March 15, when Israeli forces targeted a relief team in northern Gaza, killing nine people, including three journalists.
Israel acted with impunity because the mediators—the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar—failed to uphold their responsibilities. What value does the U.S. bring as a mediator if Israel can violate American brokered agreements and flout verbal assurances without consequence? This unchecked behaviour should cast serious doubt on the U.S. administration’s credibility as a trustworthy mediator.
The negotiated agreement called for the full exchange of all Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners and an end to Israel’s aggression. However, rather than honouring its commitments, Israel has resorted to starvation and the killing of women and children as a bargaining chip to impose new terms.
Instead of holding Israel accountable and ensuring the delivery of food and medical aid as stipulated in the negotiated agreement, the U.S.—the primary mediator of the ceasefire—has abandoned its role as an honest broker. By aligning with Israel’s demands to renegotiate the terms, the U.S. has emboldened Israel’s brazen intransigence and given it a pretext to resume its genocide in Gaza.
Israel’s pattern of renegotiating agreements while blaming the other party is a rare anomaly in global diplomacy. The international community’s failure to hold Israel accountable for honouring agreements as originally signed only encouraged its disregard for the law of nations. With unwavering U.S. support, Israeli leaders have little incentive to adhere to international norms, knowing they can manipulate the narrative, reframe discourse, shift blame, and rely on diplomatic cover. This cycle of broken promises and shifting goalposts does not lead to reconciliation—it perpetuates confrontation.
Meanwhile, as President Donald Trump presents himself as a peacemaker demanding a ceasefire in Ukraine, his position on Gaza tells a different story—one that promotes war and destruction. Writing on social media on February 15, Trump effectively gave Israel the green light to resume its genocide, declaring that the United States “will back the decision they [Israel] make!”
This juxtaposition exposes the hypocrisy of a U.S. President, who ostensibly preaches peace in Ukraine while his administration wages a proxy war on behalf of Israel against Yemen, and enable genocide in Gaza.
Jamal Kanj is the author of Children of Catastrophe: Journey from a Palestinian Refugee Camp to America, and other books
