US envoy for hostage affairs tells ‘Post’ how he reached out to Hamas – Israel News
Adam Boehler, the United States Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, revealed in an interview on Sunday that he personally initiated contact with Hamas and suggested that further meetings could take place if progress is made.
“I reached out to Hamas,” Boehler told The Jerusalem Post, emphasizing that direct engagement is not a concession but a necessary step. “We don’t think meeting somebody is a concession. That’s not what a concession is. Giving a billion dollars, like the prior administration did, more than a billion dollars to Iran, that is a concession.”
He also left open the possibility of additional talks, stating, “I think it depends quite a bit where things go. I think if things are actually, actually on the right track, I have some hope for where this can go. And I think if it follows the right track, that would be great. I think there could be other meetings even as it goes on the track, just to make sure that things stay on the right track.”
Tensions between the US and Israel over the talks
Boehler’s direct engagement with Hamas sparked concerns within the Israeli government, leading to what was described as a “tense” conversation with Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer last Tuesday. Dermer, a key advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, strongly objected to the US decision to conduct direct negotiations with Hamas without preconditions.
According to Israeli officials, Jerusalem had previously advised Washington against engaging in direct talks with the terrorist group. However, Boehler defended his approach, stating that dialogue is crucial to achieving results.
“Ron explained to me some of his concern. I said that I understood the concern,” Boehler said in the interview. “I don’t live right now in a country that is surrounded by people that want that country not to exist. So for him to get frustrated or concerned when I’m engaging, I think it’s totally normal.”
However, he insisted that his engagement was in Israel’s best interest. “I hope, based on my engagement, that he knows me a little bit better and knows that I don’t take Israel’s existence as nothing. I always believe it’s threatened,” he said. “I love the country. It’s a great ally, and I would never do something to hurt it. I hope what he takes is that I need to engage because there are people that I love, that you love, that we worry about every single day.”
The hostage negotiations and US strategy
Boehler underscored that securing the release of hostages, both American and Israeli, remains the top priority. “The job is to work and keep working and do whatever is necessary to remove and bring home our hostages,” he said. “The President has made it very clear that that job includes the Israeli hostages as well as the American hostages.”
Despite reports that negotiations have stalled, Boehler pushed back on the idea that the talks had failed. “I think that a conversation and a dialogue is very important. I can’t say whether [the talks] failed or whether they didn’t fail,” he said. “I’m happy to see folks in Doha this week because I think dialogue is where you get places. It doesn’t mean you give things up, but dialogue is where you get places. And so I think they might be hard-pressed to say it failed based on that, but honestly, I’m hopeful that I was helpful to them.”
He also stressed that the US does not provide financial incentives in negotiations. “What you’ll see is the United States does not give money to people,” he said. “The United States uses a strong hand when we have people that have our citizens, and that includes allies like Israel. So we’re not going to get pushed around, I can tell you that, but we are going to get our people back.”
A vision for resolution
Despite the complexities of the situation, Boehler remained optimistic about a possible resolution, pointing to a shifting geopolitical reality. “I’m optimistic,” he stated. “And I know that sounds odd because it’s gone on for a while, but the reason I’m optimistic is because the President of the United States, President Trump, was elected. It changed everything in the region.”
Boehler credited Israeli military actions with reshaping the landscape. “Between that and all of the unbelievable work that [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and Israel has done in destroying Hezbollah, in weakening Syria, in what they’ve done in Iran, all of these things have created a different Middle East than we had before,” he said.
He outlined a possible framework for a deal, suggesting that Hamas could lay down its arms in exchange for prisoner releases, leading to a long-term truce. “I think there’s an answer here, and I think the answer is that Hamas lays down their arms. We exchange prisoners, and they go into a long-term truce, where they don’t fight, they’re not part of any political party, and that gives us lots of cooling-off time,” he explained.
Boehler added that resolving the situation cannot be limited to negotiations but must include a broader effort to rebuild Gaza. “We’ve got to—we can’t just have rubble,” he said. “And so I think all those things can happen. And I think Hamas, at this point, is somewhat realistic about what is possible.”
Message to Israelis
In closing, Boehler urged Israelis to remain unified during this difficult time. “Stay unified right now the best you can,” he said. “In history, you see very strong leaders, and the strongest leaders, the ones that become great, are the ones that move over to achieve a lasting peace. And I think that your prime minister now has the ability to prove that it’s not just war, but he’s the one that brings peace.”
