Political reporter for Maariv newspaper, Anna Barsky, stated that political circles in Tel Aviv remain angry with Bohler, who sat down with Hamas leaders as if they were his partners in a golf club. The matter was raised in the meetings of the small political and security cabinet, where the conversation became somewhat heated, and it was phrased in various forms with little diplomacy. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his minister, Ron Dermer, who is the key figure responsible for the direct channel with Washington, were extremely angry because the incident occurred in their presence, under their noses, and without their knowledge.
Barsky added in her article, translated by Arabi21, that the ministers asked questions to understand the significance of the event, and whether the Occupation State had accidentally become similar to Zelensky, who was surprised to find his friends in Washington had turned against him. It is true that some circles claimed Bohler would have informed Dermer beforehand about his meeting with Hamas, but the real information soon changed after it appeared that Dermer was involved in the story, though he had no right to voice his opinion in front of his partners in Washington. Between the two positions, it became clear that Bohler acted on his own initiative.
The reporter highlighted that Bohler’s meeting with Hamas, which angered Israelis, raises the obvious question: If a responsible person with limited authority in a very specific field – second in the administrative hierarchy only to President Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff – took it upon himself to surpass 100 kilometers north of his mandate, why has he not been dismissed the minute the issue erupted? And does this imply that direct talks with Hamas and offering proposals on behalf of Israel is acceptable to Trump, and will this have further consequences?
Despite the recent discussions about removing Bohler from handling the issue of the hostages, this position has existed in the administration for years to deal with American hostages and prisoners around the world. This gives the holder of the position wide authority, allowing them to meet with whoever they deem necessary to achieve this goal. The United States has long paid the price for the kidnapping of its citizens in wars with extremist organizations and regimes around the world, which makes Bohler more effective than General Gal Hirsch, who Netanyahu appointed as the head of the hostage file.
She continued: “Away from the details of Bohler’s meeting with Hamas leadership, there is a more concerning matter than any complex conspiracy – that Trump sent him on this mission. Just as his close envoy, Steve Witkoff, achieved the ceasefire success on the eve of Trump’s inauguration, Bohler seeks to achieve a similar success by securing the release of an American hostage held by Hamas on the eve of Trump’s first State of the Union address in his current term.”
Barsky noted: “The envoy received the task from the president and chose the means he deemed appropriate to achieve the success Witkoff achieved, deciding not only to execute but also to take the initiative, which is a basic principle taught in every ‘leadership workshop.’ He even slipped into a conversation with a senior Hamas official about the possibility of releasing hostages with American citizenship, on behalf of Israel, without Israel’s knowledge. But the outcome was swift and entirely predictable. He failed in his attempt to persuade Hamas to accept a deal, while at the same time, he damaged the central diplomatic efforts led by Witkoff and became involved in media statements that, instead of clarifying and ending the story, only complicated it further.”
She claimed that “the damage caused by direct talks with Hamas is sending a dangerous message to them, signaling a form of legitimizing them and raising expectations among their senior officials. This is real damage and is unlikely to be neutralized easily or quickly because the damage is irreversible.”
She drew attention to the fact that “Bohler’s incident serves as a clear warning to decision-makers in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu, Dermer, and other senior political and military officials who still believe and claim that Trump and his administration are entirely with us, without deviation or reservation. This incident has proven that the current U.S. administration, unlike Biden’s, does not think in fixed categories and does not set rigid boundaries that cannot be changed. Trump thinks differently, in terms of American interests and the ability to survive. He and his team have a fluctuating business mentality, and Ukrainian President Zelensky witnessed this himself in a live broadcast.”
She concluded by stating, “Decision-makers in Tel Aviv must exercise the highest levels of vigilance and not underestimate anything, not the ‘Gaza real estate plan’ that was proposed a month ago, nor the American opposition to the ‘Arab plan for Gaza’ that keeps Hamas in play, even if behind the scenes. Even the full support of Trump’s administration for a return to fighting, if diplomatic efforts reach their limits, I advise considering this support as ‘for now’ only and to build plans based on that.”
