Comments
ISRAEL WAR - How has Israel reached this point of utter despair and terrifying uncertainty? How is it possible that after 76 years of existence, Israel’s relations with the Palestinians have reached a new nadir? How on earth is Israel now facing inescapably coordinated attacks by Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and other militant Islamist groups? How is it conceivable that Israel has alienated its closest ally and protector—the United States—to a degree never seen before? How has Israel become a rogue state, a pariah that has lost its morals and is putting Jewish values to shame? How is it imaginable that Israel today is governed by a bunch of criminals, fascists, warmongers, and messianic extremists who are destroying the country brick by brick, causing irreversible damage that will impact generations to come? And how has Israel reached this point of dire social and political schism and divisiveness, which is consuming the country from within, exposing its vulnerability and dreadful lack of cohesion and unity of purpose?
The answer to these troubling generational questions is NETANYAHU. Yes, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and no other, has brought Israel to this fateful state from which every exit is laden with peril with no escape without sustaining a significant blow that will scar every Israeli within its wake.
Netanyahu’s initial reaction and decision to wage war against Hamas for its savagery of 1,200 Israelis last October was justified because Israel has every right to defend itself. After ten months of fighting, however, following the horrific death of nearly 40,000 Palestinians and more than 1,2,00 Israelis while half of Gaza is lying in ruin, still, there is no end in sight, no exit strategy, no plans for the future of Gaza, and not even a hint about a long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
At the expense of repeating myself time and again, I want every reader to remember that it was under Netanyahu’s watch that Hamas' grisly attack took place. Under his watch, Hamas built 350 miles of tunnels. Under his watch, Hamas recruited and trained and equipped between 35,000 and 40,000 fighters. Under his watch, Hamas procured and produced approximately 20,000 rockets and drones. Netanyahu and no one else facilitated the transfer of billions of dollars from Qatar to Hamas, claiming that supporting Hamas against the PA will prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. Ten months of fighting have shown Israel’s military weakness; Hamas is still alive and kicking, far from being defeated militarily, and by no stretch of the imagination will it ever cease to exist ideologically and as a political movement.
Then came the assassinations of Fuad Shukr, Hezbollah's top military commander, and Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, less than a day later. Now, the stage is set for a coordinated attack on Israel that will involve Iran and its “axis of resistance,” which could come at any time.
Does Netanyahu understand that no matter how many Hezbollah or Hamas leaders are killed, it will not change Israel's long-term strategic predicament and it will only make the conflict even more difficult to resolve?
Does Netanyahu understand that the massive killing of Palestinians does nothing but nurture another generation of Palestinians who will live for revenge, violently resist the occupation, and happily die for a cause they believe in?
Does Netanyahu understand Hamas put Israel exactly where they dream of being? Iran and its proxies are preparing to attack Israel on their behalf, while the whole world is dismayed by Israel’s conduct.
Does Netanyahu understand that his current government and its policies are dramatically altering not only the social and cultural values of the country but its very soul as it is driven by a messianic cult that will ultimately determine its destination, which is becoming increasingly ominous?
Does Netanyahu understand that state institutions, even those like the military, are being challenged by religious extremists who are tearing the social thread that knitted Israeli society together and shattering the unity that is indispensable in a time of war?
Does Netanyahu understand that his stubborn defiance of the US and his alienation of Israel from its allies is tarnishing Israel’s image, isolating it internationally, which will take decades to repair, and that is only if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict comes to an end?
Does Netanyahu understand that the nature and the aim of insurgency is survival, that is, regardless of how heavy the losses it sustains, as long as it retains the capacity to absorb Israel’s repeated assaults, Hamas will regroup and fight back?
Does Netanyahu understand that he cannot gain either tactical or strategic victory against Iran and its surrogates, nor will he be able to restore deterrence against them as they have the time and resources to resume violence at will?
Even though his generals, the head of the Shin Bet, the Mossad, and the Minister of Defense have been accusing him of deliberately sabotaging a deal by refusing any term of a ceasefire, while President Biden is blaming him for prolonging the war, Netanyahu remains defiant. Every time Hamas and Israeli negotiators came close to reaching an agreement, he introduced new demands. He is simply controlled by his outrageously extreme-right coalition partners, especially Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, who threatened to resign and topple the government if he accepted any deal—an outcome he desperately wants to avoid, knowing that once he is out of office, he will face three criminal charges and the wrath of the nation that feels betrayed because he put his political survival above that of the country.
In his recent statement to the press, he said: “We will continue to apply military pressure on Hamas and its senior figures, until the return of all of our hostages and achieving all of the war goals.” Nothing could be more contradictory and misleading than this statement, as the reality on the ground attests to how far he is from pressuring Hamas’ senior figures and achieving the objectives of the war.
Netanyahu should know that for every Hamas leader killed, two or three will emerge to replace him, and although Hamas sustained a setback, its followers will become even more radicalized. And if Netanyahu’s objective of the war is to crush Hamas entirely and prevent it from ever reconstituting itself in Gaza, this goal seems to grow elusive by the day. Indeed, after ten months of deadly fighting, Hamas remains operative and continues to recruit and train new fighters. Many of Hamas’ fighters are reemerging in places where Israel has driven them out.
It is hard to describe what Netanyahu has done to his country. The tension between the people, the consuming anger with the government, and disgust over the unfolding events have added a deep sense of despair that many Israelis feel, not knowing what to expect next. As the prime minister, who is supposed to lead and be governed only by what is best for the country, he has no strategy and no realistic plan that would end the war, bring the hostages back home, and forge a future of peaceful Israeli-Palestinian coexistence. Time is running out as Israel is awaiting coordinated retaliations that could break into a regional war.
It is the greatest tragedy that Israel has experienced since its creation. There will be no salvation until Netanyahu is driven out of power because he is dragging Israel down on his catastrophic journey to hell.
(Dr. Alon Ben-Meir is a retired professor of international relations, most recently at the Center for
Global Affairs at NYU. He taught courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies.)
[email protected] Web: www.alonben-meir.com
