Fmr. Israeli Consul Gen. Pinkas: ‘If They’re Smart,’ Israel Will ‘Pause Air Strikes’ for Aid to Enter Gaza

EXCERPT:

PINKAS: "There were two themes in Secretary Blinken’s speech at the U.N. Security Council. One was, as you correctly point to, the humanitarian aid that in order to facilitate it, Israel needs to pause air strikes. And I think that while Secretary Blinken made that unequivocal in his speech, he also made it unequivocal in his private meetings here in Israel, the twice that he has been here, once with President Biden. The second, no less importantly, is the very clear warning that he delivered to Iran: Do not test us, do not expand or do not escalate, do not spread — to use his terminology — and do not hurt America, Israel’s allies. Who are Israel's allies that he's referring to? The U.S.. So I think the Israeli war cabinet, going back to your question, Andrea, is going to look at both and say, 'If they are smart, we will take it. We will do what he asks in terms of pausing the air strikes to allow for humanitarian aid. But we also feel emboldened, strengthened and supported by what he said about Iran expanding this or escalating this into a broad regional conflict.' So I think as a package deal, so to speak, that’s an important message from Blinken."