1 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: Sa Hammer and Nigel Show. My name is Nigel Jason Hammer. 2 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:09,959 Speaker 1: Right over there. You and I were both gone at 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 1: the beginning of the week, of course, still paying attention 4 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: to world events. I'm talking about the hostages, the Israeli 5 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: hostages being released by Hamas after the terror attack two 6 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: years ago. Certainly remember talking to our next guest a 7 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: couple of days after that terror attack, Hamas going into Israel, 8 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: capturing hostages, murdering well over a thousand innocent civilians. Bripe 9 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:38,279 Speaker 1: Our News Senior editor at Large, Joel Pollock. Joel, tell 10 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: us about your analysis at the beginning of this week 11 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:43,479 Speaker 1: how much Donald Trump had to do with what happened, 12 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:47,919 Speaker 1: And I am hearing words like unprecedented and things like that. 13 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 1: What's your take? 14 00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 2: It is unprecedented, and I think you have to step 15 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 2: back and look at what Israel's goals were at the 16 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 2: start of the war. The first goal was to rescue 17 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 2: the hostages, and that was a common goal across Israeli 18 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 2: society left or right. People wanted the hostages back. The 19 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 2: second goal, which I think for Benjaminciyahu, was perhaps the 20 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:16,920 Speaker 2: primary goal, but the second goal, in terms of how 21 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 2: wide they shared it was in Israel was to defeat 22 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 2: Hamas and remove them from power, disarming them if possible. 23 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 2: At first, these two goals seemed irreconcilable, and that drove 24 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 2: a lot of the opposition to Nazi Yahu because a 25 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 2: lot of the people for whom the hostages were the 26 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 2: top priority, felt that he was jeopardizing a deal that 27 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 2: could get them released by insisting on destroying Hamas, and 28 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 2: Nashnyahu insisted the entire time that he could do both. Meanwhile, 29 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 2: Israel feated enemies on every other front, from Hesbala and 30 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,720 Speaker 2: Lebanon to the Syrian regime, to the Hutis in Yemen, 31 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 2: to Iran, to the Iraqi militias that were firing missiles. 32 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 2: Israel just took everybody out or severely damaged their capabilities 33 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 2: and showed that Israel could reach them, even the Hamak's 34 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 2: leadership in Doha in Qatar. And then this deal came 35 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 2: about where miraculously Nasignat who was in fact able to 36 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 2: achieve both objectives, where Hamas agreed to leave power and 37 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:24,679 Speaker 2: to give up all of the hostages living in debt. 38 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 2: Now they haven't handed over all of the dead bodies yet, 39 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,920 Speaker 2: and they also haven't agreed explicitly to disarm, and in 40 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 2: fact they're running around Gaza right now executing their political opponents, 41 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:39,920 Speaker 2: which interestingly, the world doesn't have a problem with, the 42 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 2: world only cares about Palestinians being killed when Israel is 43 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:46,639 Speaker 2: at war with the Palestinians. The world does not care 44 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 2: when Palestinians kill all the Palestinians. But that was the 45 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 2: unprecedented nature of this and the person I think who 46 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 2: is credited most and who deserves the credit a President 47 00:02:57,440 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 2: Donald Trump. 48 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: And Joel Well. 49 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:02,120 Speaker 3: Last part of what you talked about something we've been 50 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 3: talking about for the last couple of days. While yes, 51 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 3: it's been great to see progress for this peace deal 52 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 3: and hostages that living hostages being exchanged, we're far from 53 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 3: the finish line here because Hamas is still getting squirrely. 54 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:25,919 Speaker 2: Well that's true, but I think with the involvement of 55 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 2: the rest of the Arab and Muslim world and a 56 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 2: commitment to help govern and rebuild Gaza, I think Hamas 57 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:37,119 Speaker 2: is going to have a harder time rebuilding and reconstituting itself. Also, 58 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 2: Israel hasn't given up on its right to self defense. 59 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 2: It can still go into Gaza and take out terrorists. 60 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 2: It has withdrawn to ceasefire lines, but if Hamas tries 61 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 2: to attack Israelis, They're going to have the war resume, 62 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 2: and in a much worse position because now they won't 63 00:03:55,240 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 2: have the leverage of the hostages to trade away. So 64 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 2: I think that this time really is different, and it's 65 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 2: different because of two people, obviously Nishanyaho and again, as 66 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 2: I mentioned before, Trump. I mean, I think Nishayahu's resolve 67 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 2: in committing to winning the war I frightened Hamas and 68 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:18,520 Speaker 2: it was not what they expected. They expected him to 69 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 2: do a deal, especially given the domestic political pressure in 70 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 2: Israel to do a deal. And I think the fact 71 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 2: that he went after the leaders in Doha, who had 72 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:31,080 Speaker 2: enjoyed a comfortable exile until then, really shook the organization up. 73 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 2: And then you had President Donald Trump arming the Israelis 74 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 2: and saying that he was willing to let them do 75 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 2: whatever it was they needed to do if Hamas didn't 76 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 2: agree to a deal. I think that a message eventually 77 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 2: got through, and I think that the strength of Trump 78 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 2: and his strong support for Israel and the resolve of 79 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 2: the Israeli government to win the war, I think it 80 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 2: pushed Hamas into a corner, and eventually the Arab and 81 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 2: Muslim world said to Hamas, it's time to stop. We'll 82 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 2: find some solution for you out of this. You can 83 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,160 Speaker 2: hold on to the billions of dollars you've stolen, or 84 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 2: you can leave the Gaza strip alive, or whatever it was. 85 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 2: But I think they said, look, the game is up 86 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:10,039 Speaker 2: and it's time to stop. Now it's affecting the entire region, 87 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:11,560 Speaker 2: it's affecting us. We're not going to let it go 88 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 2: on anymore. Israel is starting to attack targets in our countries, 89 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:16,359 Speaker 2: which we want to keep safe from all of this. 90 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 2: So I just think it shows you how powerful good 91 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 2: leadership can be and the importance of a strong US 92 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 2: Israel alliance. When that alliance is strong, then there's peace 93 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:33,239 Speaker 2: in the region. When the alliance is weak or shaky, 94 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 2: as it has been under the previous two democratic administrations, 95 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 2: both of which I've tried to distance themselves from Israel, 96 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,120 Speaker 2: that's when you see warzer ups, that's when you see 97 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:45,359 Speaker 2: terrorism spread. They take advantage of what's perceived as a 98 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 2: distance between the US and Israel, and there just has 99 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 2: to be a strong alliance, even if there are ups 100 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 2: and downs. Even if there are disagreements over specific issues, 101 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 2: there has to be a strong. 102 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: Alliance, right bart News Senior editor at large Joel Pollock 103 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: here on the Hammer and Nigel Show. Let's go back 104 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:05,840 Speaker 1: to the hostages for a second. How are they treated? 105 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 1: Two years plus in captivity. 106 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,599 Speaker 2: Most appear to be malnourished and in poor physical condition, 107 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 2: but good enough at least to walk for the most part. 108 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:22,720 Speaker 2: Some appear in better condition. It probably depends who was 109 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:28,920 Speaker 2: holding them, but some appear absolutely emaciated, and they look very, 110 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 2: very unhealthy. They look like they've lost maybe half their 111 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 2: body weight, and it's actually frightening. I think that the 112 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 2: fact that the world tolerated this situation for so long 113 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 2: is a disgrace. Some of the stories that have come 114 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 2: out already have been that the hostages were at times 115 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:50,279 Speaker 2: denied food for days or even weeks on end, maybe 116 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 2: given a piece of bread every day and a little 117 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:56,280 Speaker 2: bit of dirty water. And there are stories also of 118 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 2: Hamas commanders sitting down and eating meat and beans in 119 00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 2: front of the hostages and telling them that if they 120 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:05,599 Speaker 2: converted to Islam they would get more food, and the 121 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 2: hostages refused. So that tells you a little bit about 122 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 2: what they had to endure, and of course there's the 123 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 2: case of one of them who had to dig his 124 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 2: own grave in that infamous propaganda video. The fact that 125 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 2: he emerged alive is really attestament to the power of 126 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 2: faith and human spirit. But just imagine what it took 127 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 2: to survive that. 128 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 3: And what has this meant for Net and Yahoo? Because 129 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:33,880 Speaker 3: there were some conflicting reports before this deal was made 130 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 3: that maybe folks in Israel were starting to tire a 131 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 3: little bit of business as usual led by Net and Yahoo. 132 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 3: But it feels like now that we've kind of reached 133 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 3: a point where it feels comfortable, I don't know if 134 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 3: that's the right word or not, but a place where 135 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 3: there's a piece deal on the table. How's his political numbers, 136 00:07:55,080 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 3: what's his political future? 137 00:07:57,920 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 2: Well, there are two polls out this week to show 138 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 2: that he is skyrocketing in the polls and his party 139 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 2: would receive thirty four seats out of one hundred and 140 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 2: twenty if the election were held today. That would match 141 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 2: or come close to the highest they've ever received. And 142 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 2: in terms of the question of who should be the 143 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:21,840 Speaker 2: Prime Minister of Israel, he has several times the amount 144 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 2: of support of his closest competitor and Tlie Bennett. Now 145 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 2: it's very early. The next election isn't for another year, 146 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 2: so things can obviously change in politics. But it's a 147 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 2: sign of how the Israeli public have rallied to his side. 148 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 2: And yes, the war was dragging on and people were 149 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 2: impatient with him, and there are many people who don't 150 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 2: like his domestic policies, and they often will tell you 151 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 2: that he's just been around forever. The longest serving prime 152 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 2: minister in Israel's history. He has been in office since 153 00:08:53,280 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 2: two thousand and nine, with the exception of a brief 154 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 2: interregnum in twenty twenty one and twenty twenty two, and 155 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 2: that's very long long time to be in office. People 156 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 2: do like change, so to some extent, he's really public 157 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,319 Speaker 2: was looking for new leadership. But I think people appreciate 158 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 2: the way in which he led this war to a 159 00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:14,559 Speaker 2: successful conclusion and the way in which he managed the 160 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:18,439 Speaker 2: relationship with the United States. He very successfully navigated the 161 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 2: challenges of the Biden presidency and then took advantage of 162 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:28,000 Speaker 2: the friendship of President Donald Trump to bring Israel to victory, 163 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:31,000 Speaker 2: and as I said earlier, a very unexpected way. 164 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, Joel Pollack, one more thing before we let you go. 165 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,199 Speaker 1: I mean, this might be sort of a naive question, 166 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: but have you ever seen anything like this before in 167 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 1: terms of all the countries in the Middle East coming 168 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 1: together and saying, all right, we've had enough of Iran, 169 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 1: We've had enough of Hamas. Is this as close to 170 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:51,439 Speaker 1: quote unquote peace in the Middle East as we've seen 171 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:55,200 Speaker 1: in a long time in your opinion. 172 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 2: Well, we're not really at the point of peace, and 173 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 2: the task now will be rebuilding Gaza in a successful 174 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 2: way and settling some of the lingering disputes. I think 175 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:13,679 Speaker 2: the Israeli Palestinian question should be relatively easily settled now, 176 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 2: given that both the Palestinian authority and Israel are cooperating 177 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 2: on this post war situation for Gaza, but there are 178 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 2: still a lot of outstanding issues. I also think that 179 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:26,960 Speaker 2: you have a problem now in the West where some 180 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 2: of the most radical voices on the Middle East conflict 181 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 2: are not coming from the Middle East, but are coming 182 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 2: from American college campuses and from inside the halls of Congress. 183 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 2: Are those radicals going to allow a piece deal to 184 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:42,080 Speaker 2: take place? You know, these people shouted and protested for 185 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 2: ceasefire for so long, you think they'd be happy, but 186 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 2: they're not. They're not protesting in thanks for not demonstrating 187 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 2: their appreciation. If you see the scene in Israel on 188 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:57,280 Speaker 2: social media or news websites this week, people have been 189 00:10:57,440 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 2: literally dancing in the streets, and not just in Israel, 190 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:02,439 Speaker 2: in the Jewish community in the United States. There are 191 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:07,000 Speaker 2: people who are overjoyed. And it's a week of festivals 192 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 2: anyway in the Jewish community, so people were dancing for 193 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 2: that reason. But my kids go to a Jewish school, 194 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:14,560 Speaker 2: and the school held the celebration for the end of 195 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 2: the war because people are glad the war's over, and 196 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:20,240 Speaker 2: they're glad it ended so successfully. That's not happening on 197 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:24,199 Speaker 2: the Palestinian side, and the pro Palestinian activist and Isral activists, 198 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:26,840 Speaker 2: they're just vowing to press ahead and to push for 199 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 2: more sanctions, and they're unhappy because they're just radicalized. And 200 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 2: so the question is will they allow peace to take 201 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 2: root in the Middle East. 202 00:11:33,640 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 1: Find his work Breitbart dot Com. Great to talk to 203 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:39,600 Speaker 1: you as always, it's bright Bard News Senior editor at Large, 204 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: Joe Pollock. Joel. Have a great weekend, man. We'll talk 205 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: to you soon use you guys.