What is seven? How much?!
"I apologize to the families of the abductees because right now I don't have an answer. We are not on the verge of a deal. The story that there will be a response from Hamas at Sheva Arab is a story that originated with a journalist whose name we don't even know, who made huge headlines in Israel for absolutely no reason."
With these words, the commentator on Arab affairs, Ehud Yaari, opened the "Six with Oded Ben Ami" edition, about an hour before the time to which all the clocks in the studios were set, alluding to some "Edna Abu Carnival" that trolled entire communication systems regarding the answer of Hamas regarding the abductees deal, an answer which according to the report was supposed to be published at seven in the evening.
Waiting for a response from Hamas, photo: from News 12
So as usual with Hamas - an hour is not an hour and a report is not a report, but how is it that whole days of waiting were based on dubious nonsense that even MK Tali Gottlieb would not call "iron sources"? And why is the time the main thing anyway? Seven in the evening is the point? How does it happen that the essential questions, such as how many terrorists will be released or in how many beats, do not take up the bulk of the discussion?
take with limited liability
"Hard hours in the Middle East? We've learned that it should be taken with a grain of salt," disappointed political reporter Dana Weiss, as she deliberately misses what should be taken with a grain of salt: the campaign that position commentators are running around the kidnapping deal, which supposedly has been progressing in recent days.
Almost four months into the hell of the abductees issue, News 12 functions as the headquarters of the abductees for everything, with a single and insistent message: a kidnapping deal, any abductee deal, is something that must be pushed towards with full vigor, without dwelling on prices, without "unpacking" the consequences.
Ceasefire?
No problem.
Losing the war?
come on ok
Will we raise the price until the deal is tarped?
Sounds like Smotrich and Ben Gvir nonsense.
Disappointed.
Dana Weiss, photo: from News 12
The news company, for most of its moderators and commentators, craves a hostage deal at any cost.
With the encouragement of everyone encouraging a deal and reducing the appearance of anyone who opposes it, without looking at the consequences of past deals and the future victims, without going through the lists of terrorists and the amounts of blood on their hands.
The relatives of the unfortunate abductees are clamoring to promote a deal at any cost, and that is their right, but at the studio in Neve Ilan they mediate the big picture to the public about the same way Qatar mediates the deal fairly for us.
The demonstrations are covered under the heading "The Public", and the tune with most moderators and panelists who want to be invited again is "Now and at any cost!"
big gap
Therefore, the promise that at the exact time of 19:00 a terrorist organization would give an answer, became a televised event to strive for.
One that should receive the long-awaited answer.
All that was missing was for the promo department to run a countdown clock in the corner, with the title "Tonight the whole country will know what Sinwar answered".
A big gap in the positions of the parties, photo: from News 12
Someone in the studio will ask how seven o'clock in the evening turned into a time when we all hold our breath and wait for an answer from a terrorist organization?
Will anyone on the entire broadcasting board dare to knock on the table and say "it won't happen" to the proposed deal?
No way.
"Hamas' position is that there is a big gap in the positions of the parties," Yaari concluded.
"Hamas insists on the cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of IDF forces from the Strip, before making the first move in the deals."
But even Ehud Yaari himself would not dare to stop, knock on the table and tell his colleagues at the channel that they are promoting a dangerous deal, which it is doubtful if it even exists.
He saves the threats and shouting for correspondence with Miri Regev.
Full disclosure: the writer is sometimes a panelist on Channel 14 and here 11
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