The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, has been in summer recess since July 28 and will not reconvene until Oct. 27 because of the Jewish holidays. Until then, and thus for the next six weeks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be Israel’s virtual dictator, with no legislative constraints.

During this time, he can choose to make a deal with Hamas — or reject one — without interference from Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, the extremist right-wing ministers who have vowed to bring the government down in the event Netanyahu does strike a deal to bring home the remaining hostages.

Netanyahu could call an emergency Knesset session, which the extremist ministers surely would demand if he were to conclude a deal with the terrorists, but he is almost certain not to do so.

Netanyahu is insisting that he will not reach an agreement with Hamas that does not provide for Israeli control of the Philadelphi corridor, the narrow strip of land between Israel and Egypt. He asserts that Egypt has neglected to prevent Hamas from smuggling weapons, many of them supplied by Iran, through tunnels under the corridor. He claims that Israeli control of the nine-mile corridor is an existential condition for his country, and that unless Israel retains its presence there, Hamas will never free the remaining hostages and instead will continue to thrive as Israel’s nemesis

Netanyahu’s........

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