Top Israeli journo addresses AIJAC
Veteran journalist Maayan Hoffman, currently Executive Editor at ILTV Israel News, a correspondent for The Media Line and a regular columnist for All Israel News and Ynet, recently addressed an Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) media luncheon in Sydney on the regional state of play and developments in Israel after two years of war.
Maayan Hoffman in Sydney
Commenting on how quickly everything changes in the region, Hoffman began by describing a speech given via video in Turkey by senior Hamas official Khaled Mashal, who “said that they’re absolutely not going to disarm. That Hamas is not interested in disarming, but he said something more than that.
“He said that the international efforts, basically, to lead to the rise of antisemitism, lead to the vision that Israel is no longer a key player, is working. And that, in fact, he wants to continue with this and eventually wipe Israel off the map.”
Despite Arab leaders clearly being interested in moving to phase II of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, which was recently codified in UN Security Council Resolution 2803, Hamas is rendering this impossible with its refusal to disarm, she said.
Referring to the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) intended to disarm Hamas and the Board of Peace and Palestinian technocratic committee meant to replace their governance under phase II, Hoffman says, “That’s not really something that’s about to happen. Most of the Gazan citizens are actually living under Hamas. And Hamas, in fact, is not just there, but it’s actually rebuilding and reorienting and reorganising.”
Hoffman says the ceasefire and hostage return, while necessary and important, do not signify the end of the war. “The goal was not to kill every individual [Hamas member]. The goal was to take Hamas out of political and military rule. And we were close, but we hadn’t finished. And then we signed a ceasefire deal… The war is not over,” she said. “I love the term ceasefire, because it’s like a ceasefire that’s broken every day. At what point is it no longer a ceasefire? Right here, it’s like fire all the time.”
As for the ISF, “They will help with humanitarian aid. They’ll make sure that the Gazans can get access to hospitalisation and care. Great, we need all of that. But they’re not willing to actually disarm Hamas,” she said, later adding, “Eventually, in one to two months, what you’re going see is that Israel’s going to have to finish the job… But now [the hostages are] out. So now we actually can finish the job.”
Israeli policy has changed to become much more proactive against enemies since October 7, Hoffman said. Whereas before, Israel would allow military buildups by Hamas or Hezbollah or launch minor operations, now “every time we see either a preparation for an attack or an attack, we immediately attack back and we take action.”
“And that’s a big change in Israeli policy since October 7, and really since the ongoing two-year war that’s been since October 7.”
In terms of the superficially close relationship between the US and Hamas-supporting Qatar, Hoffman asserted, citing US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, that beneath the surface, there is intense US pressure on the country, to which she attributes the ceasefire and release of the hostages.
“I do think that that’s why we got all the hostages out. Qatar basically told Hamas, let the hostages out. Because there was no way that Hamas would have done that,” she said.
Hoffman also address the irreconcilability of the ongoing existence of UNRWA, the Palestinian refugee agency deeply tied to terrorism and incitement, and a possible two-state solution. UNRWA, she said, is still operating, despite being legally banned in Israel, and needs to be fully expelled.
“This just shows the craziness going on. You know, the disconnect between a 20-point plan [that involves a pathway to a Palestinian state] supported by the United Nations Security Council and then the United Nations voting to continue with UNRWA.”
Moving to Lebanon and its failure to disarm Hezbollah, which is rebuilding with support from Iran, Hoffman said, “Lebanon wants to join the Abraham Accords… But they can’t [disarm Hezbollah]. There’s a weak prime minister, a weak president, and a very weak government in general.”
“While in the media, Lebanon is making Israel not look so good, behind the scenes, the Lebanese president and prime minister are working with Israel… They want Hezbollah out of the country. They want to move forward,” she added. However, “the precondition for normalisation is disarmament of Hezbollah, and Hezbollah is not disarmed,” she lamented, saying that, as with Gaza, the war is not over despite the on-paper ceasefire.
“You’re also going to see us go back to fighting Iran,” she warned.
Additionally, Hoffman addressed the potential of expanding the Abraham Accords to Saudi Arabia and even Indonesia; the radicalisation and dangers emanating from the West Bank, based on Palestinian opinion polls; and the changes inside Israel.
Regarding the latter, Hoffman said the “pandemic of trauma” would be a new focus, as would the international public relations battle against demonisation of Israel and antisemitism.
“I feel like October 7 changed everything about our lives. Everything,” Hoffman, who was acting news editor at the Jerusalem Post during the attack, stated. “The whole country is different. The mentality is different. Everything is different, but it also changed the entire world. And it certainly changed the region. And so what we’re going to be seeing over the next year is the aftermath of October 7.”
