(18 Mar 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
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++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Silver Spring, Maryland – 18 March 2025
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Shibley Telhami, non-resident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution:
"This new Israeli assault was actually approved by Washington. At least there were reports in the Israeli press that it was, the administration was consulted, it approved it and that there wouldn’t be any pressure even to deliver humanitarian aid. So we are back not only to pre-ceasefire, but on steroids perhaps."
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington – 18 March 2025
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute:
"Number one is the blank support to — blank check support to Israel. Number two is sort of this performance that he conducts himself, that few people take seriously but could open the door and give hope to those among the Israeli right who simply want to annex and take over Gaza and parts of the West Bank as well. I think the third thing I’d say is that he’s got delusions of grandeur of an Israel-Saudi normalization accord. President Trump, in his wildest dreams, wants to get the Nobel Peace Prize, and has told people this privately, for building on the Abraham Accords of 2020. But the problem is, points number one and two of his agenda actually don’t help them get to number three."
++BLACK FRAMES++
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Silver Spring, Maryland – 18 March 2025
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Shibley Telhami, non-resident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution:
"The Israelis are not going to be able to release the hostages alive unfortunately, sadly, if, in fact, the war continues. And so then what’s the aim? Well, the aim, as people say, is survival, the political survival of the prime minister (Netanyahu). It already postponed his, trial case today by launching and so forth is already regrouping his far right behind him, to strengthen his government. So he survives politically another day. He does what he needs to do. But that’s not enough, honestly, I think there’s more to it. And if there is in fact, an ethnic cleansing plan for Gaza ahead, it is really hard to see how this could be implemented, even with the support of the U.S.. And so I think, we’re in for very dark days ahead where waters will be tested. There will be a huge number of people suffering and affected and killed and wounded, and I don’t think that that’s going to lead to any political equilibrium anytime soon."
++BLACK FRAMES++
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington – 18 March 2025
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute:
"The key thing with whatever the Witkoff proposal was, at its core it was a renegotiation of the very terms that the parties agreed to in January with the Biden team and Trump team working closely together. So obviously that effort didn’t work to prevent the return to violence. We’ll see if that sort of proposal will be more viable now that Hamas has felt some losses. And the other factor to watch really carefully is also many, if not most, of the families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, are deeply concerned about the return to violence because they know that this means less of a chance that their loved ones come home safely. And it seems like that’s the risk that Netanyahu was willing to take and it’s one that Trump has backed him on."
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STORYLINE:
The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel’s actions.
"We are back not only to pre-ceasefire, but on steroids perhaps," Telhami said.
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