Numerous stories appeared in both the U.S. and Israeli news media purporting to explain what happened between the time the White House released the U.S./French-led joint statement calling for a 21-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah on Sept. 25 and the time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed in New York roughly 12 hours later. National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby was adamant about one thing in remarks to reporters yesterday afternoon: “we wouldn’t have worked on that statement the way we did, we wouldn’t have issued it when and how we did if it wasn’t supported by the conversations that we were having with top Israeli officials yesterday….”
Reports out of Israel also suggest that, as long as the talks were private, Israeli officials were supportive of the ceasefire proposal. Netanyahu’s rejection of it came after the statement was made public on Sept. 25.
The Times of Israel, citing a Channel 12 report, identified Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer as the Israeli counterpart in discussions that U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had initiated earlier in the week. According to the Channel 12 report, Dermer had assured Sullivan that Netanyahu wanted to avoid all-out war. At that point, discussions got underway on a temporary ceasefire during which a more permanent arrangement could be negotiated.
