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Internet dubs John Bolton 'biggest stooge' after he labels truce between Israel-Hamas 'game of psychological warfare'

Bolton's remarks, shared in an interview with CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Thanksgiving Day, triggered a backlash on social media

WASHINGTON, DC: Former US national security adviser John Bolton stirred controversy on Thursday, November 23, as he voiced strong opposition to the short-term truce between Hamas and Israel, labeling it a "bad deal." Bolton's remarks, shared in an interview with CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Thanksgiving Day, triggered a backlash on social media.

"Hamas is playing a game of psychological warfare against the people of Israel, and the people of the United States as well," Bolton asserted, just hours before the temporary ceasefire was set to begin.

“They’re trying to distract Israel from its strategic mission of eliminating Hamas, and trying to focus on the question of the hostages [and] the question of the condition of civilians in Gaza,” he added.

Prioritizing Israel's mission

While expressing empathy for the families of hostages, Bolton emphasized the paramount importance of Israel's mission to eradicate Hamas. He argued that Hamas aims to turn the four-day pause into a permanent ceasefire, strategically undermining Israeli military resolve and benefiting the militants.

“Now, I don’t think they’re going to achieve that at the first iteration. But they’re trying to put the onus on the Israeli forces,” he continued.

“I don’t think this one event is necessarily going to be the Alpha and Omega,” Bolton said. “But if this sets a precedent that undermines Israeli resolve to achieve what they’re legitimately entitled to achieve — the elimination of Hamas as a threat — it’ll be a huge victory for the terrorists.”

“What I worry about is the pause, if it begins in a few hours, is just the opening wedge to achieve that objective,” he added.

Bolton, known for his strong views on national security, continued his critique on the 'Cats and Cosby' show, asserting that the terms of the deal are unfavorable for Israel.

“The deal itself, at least as I understand the terms as they’ve been announced, is a very bad deal for Israel,” he told host John Catsimatidis. “It’s another swap of hostages — innocent victims — for criminals that are in Israeli jails at a ratio of 3:1 in favor of the Hamas terrorists.”

The truce, negotiated earlier in the week, involves the release of 50 hostages and 150 Palestinian prisoners, marking a significant development in the more than six-week war between Israel and Hamas. Qatar, the mediator, announced that the first batch of captive civilians, including women and children, would be delivered around 4 pm local time.

Despite the temporary pause, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Hamas is completely destroyed, The Hill reported. 

Social media backlash

Bolton's comments, however, faced strong criticism on social media.

"This guy is the biggest stooge. They really all are. None of this is a game, with your little green men moving on the map board, you psychos," one posted on X (formerly Twitter).

"Surely, it's not a game?" another wrote.

"John Bolton is a warmonger of the highest order, he can f--- right off," someone else fumed.

"Of [course] a psychopath who doesn’t care about a humanitarian crisis would say that," another chimed in.