Why Biden didn’t cut off military aid to Israel
Brett McGurk has held senior national security roles under four presidents and helped shape some of the most consequential American foreign policy in the Middle East, including the Biden administration’s response to the war in Gaza. He also negotiated Jason’s release from an Iranian prison.
McGurk is out with a new book, “Brink: Inside the Race to Free the October 7th Hostages.” In this episode, he takes Jason behind the scenes of the high-stakes negotiations to secure the release of the hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. McGurk reflects on the moral tradeoffs involved in hostage negotiations, the Biden administration’s clashes with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the missed off-ramps for ending the war in Gaza as the death toll mounted.
Today’s show was produced by Josh Carroll and Layli Nazarova. It was edited by Ted Muldoon.
00:00 Where are people in Gaza supposed to go?
00:30 Welcome to Freedom Desk
01:35 Brett helped free Jason from Iranian captivity in Evin prison
03:07 Iran tried to keep Jason’s wife in captivity in Tehran
04:13 Hostage taking is perverse
05:22 Hamas’ core demand for Israeli hostages after Oct. 7, 2023
06:24 Innocent people held as stand-ins for their governments
07:27 When is the price too high?
08:22 McGurk and the ZOPA, Zone Of Possible Agreement
08:49 Talking to Qatar, Egypt, CIA director Bill Burns
08:51 Babies, kids, older Israelis held hostage by Hamas
09:30 Getting the first 100 hostages released
09:46 When Hamas decided not to release the young women hostages
11:11 The most horrible, complex situation Brett has negotiated
11:52 Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu being impossible to pin down
12:35 Putting pressure on Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar
13:33 Weighing U.S., Saudi, E.U., Israeli, Palestinian interests
14:30 Airstrike that killed World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza
15:10 Iran preparing massive missile barrage toward Israel
16:06 Biden to Bibi: “There’s no Santa Claus in Israel, pal.”
16:50 McGurk says the U.S. might have been tougher on Israel
16:59 Would that have lessened Israeli attacks on Gaza civilians?
18:22 McGurk on missing family time
20:39 Getting call from White House about strike on U.S. base
21:23 Why Biden did not curtail military assistance to Israel
22:24 “You can’t just say end the war.”
23:30 How U.S. attempted to get civilians out of Gaza
24:12 Biden visted Israeli after Oct. 7
24:50 Strike on hospital in Gaza
25:40 Egyptian and Jordanian government responses
26:30 Egyptian border with Gaza being closed
27:30 Thoughts on current U.S. war with Iran
30:45 Jason and Brett’s efforts to get Iranians out of Iran
