From Gaza to Iran, the Netanyahu Government Is Endangering Israel's Survival

[Israeli]

Israel is facing a historic defeat, the bitter fruit of years of disastrous policies. If the country now prioritizes vengeance over its own best interests, it will put itself and the entire region in grave danger

In the coming days Israel will have to make historic policy decisions, ones that could shape its fate and the fate of the entire region for generations to come. Unfortunately, Benjamin Netanyahu and his political partners have repeatedly proven that they are unfit to make such decisions. The policies they pursued for many years have brought Israel to the brink of destruction. So far, they have shown no regret for their past mistakes, and no inclination to change direction. If they continue to shape policy, they will lead us and the whole Middle East to perdition. Instead of rushing into a new war with Iran, we should first learn the lessons of Israel's failures over the past six months of war.

War is a military means for achieving political aims, and there is one key yardstick by which to measure success in war: Were the political aims achieved? Following the horrendous massacre of October 7, Israel needed to liberate the hostages and disarm Hamas, but these should not have been its only aims. In light of the existential threat posed to Israel by Iran and its agents of chaos, Israel also needed to deepen its alliance with Western democracies, strengthen cooperation with moderate Arab forces, and work to establish a stable regional order. However, the Netanyahu government ignored all these aims, and instead focused on revenge. It has failed to secure the release of all the hostages, and has not disarmed Hamas. Worse, it intentionally inflicted a humanitarian disaster on the 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and thereby undermined the moral and geopolitical basis for Israel's existence.

The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the worsening situation in the West Bank are inflaming regional chaos, weakening our alliances with Western democracies, and making it harder for countries like Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia to cooperate with us. Most Israelis have now focused their attention on Tehran, but even prior to the Iranian attack we preferred to turn a blind eye to what was happening in Gaza and the West Bank. Yet if we don't change our behavior toward the Palestinians, our hubris and vengefulness will inflict a historic calamity on us.

After six months of war, many of the hostages are still in captivity and Hamas is still on its feet, but the Gaza Strip is devastated, many thousands of its people have been killed, and most of its population are now famished refugees. Together with Gaza, Israel's international standing is also in ruins, and we are now hated and ostracized even by many of our former friends. If an all-out war breaks out with Iran and its proxies, to what extent can Israel count on the United States, the Western democracies and moderate Arab states to risk themselves for us, and provide us with vital military and diplomatic assistance? Even if such war is averted, how long can Israel survive as a pariah state? We don't have Russia's ample resources. Without commercial, scientific and cultural ties with the rest of the world, and without American arms and money, the most optimistic scenario for Israel is to become the North Korea of the Middle East.

continued @ :
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-04-18/ty-article-magazine/from-gaza-to-iran-the-netanyahu-government-is-endangering-israels-survival/0000018e-f25f-daad-a3de-fe7ff5790000

(no paywall )

[Think. Again.]

1. It appears Israel has already lost all credibility and respect worldwide.

[Israeli]

2. I watch the international news channels

and read the forums here .......you think I am unaware of that ??

[Think. Again.]

3. I never said you were or weren't....

...I made that comment because the article seems to imply that this is yet to happen, while I believe it already has happened.

[Israeli]

4. How so ???

After six months of war, many of the hostages are still in captivity and Hamas is still on its feet, but the Gaza Strip is devastated, many thousands of its people have been killed, and most of its population are now famished refugees. Together with Gaza, Israel's international standing is also in ruins, and we are now hated and ostracized even by many of our former friends.

and :

The Netanyahu government has managed to derail even our relations with the United States, as if we have an alternative source for arms and diplomatic backing. The younger generations in the United States, and around the world now see Israel as a racist and violent country that expels millions from their homes, starves entire populations, and kills many thousands of civilians for no better reason than revenge. The results will be felt not only in the coming days and months, but for decades into the future. Even during the worst moments of October 7, Hamas was nowhere near vanquishing Israel. But the ruinous policy of the Netanyahu government following October 7 has placed Israel in existential danger.

Anyhow I am not about to argue with you because i agree with you .

[Think. Again.]

5. I guess it was lines like these...

That made me read it as a problem that can still be averted...

"If they continue to shape policy, they will lead us and the whole Middle East to perdition."

"Yet if we don't change our behavior toward the Palestinians, our hubris and vengefulness will inflict a historic calamity on us."

The results of netanyahu's regime are already set. The children are dead.

It would take decades of new leadership and strict policies of fairness and human rights actions, and a total renouncement of rightwing ideology to build a new global opinion of Israel at this point.

And I sincerely wish you the absolute best with those efforts.

[Lonestarblue]

6. You are so right. Netanyahu has cost Israel the moral high ground.

I cannot predict what will happen in the future, but I hope saner heads will demand Netanyahu’s resignation and will recognize the Palestinians’ right to exist and form their own country. I do not believe that there is a major threat to Israel’s existence, but I think they will need to leave the West Bank and return lands in East Jerusalem to the Palestinians. Israel has been trying to claim all of Jerusalem as their own, but it is a city sacred to all three Abrahamic religions and perhaps should be administered as an international city not under the control of Israelis or Palestinians.

[Israeli]

8. Im Left wing secular

I vote Meretz and have done since Rabin was assassinated.
I completely 100% agree with you .

[Beastly Boy]

7. Israel did achive political aims by military means. Unfortunally, these achievements

reflect the politics of Netanyahu's government alone at the expense of everyone else's.

Since you are observing (and experiencing) Israel directly, please tell me if I am wrong on this one: I sense a growing resentment among Israelis of using the entire might and the sacrifices of IDF for achieving such a narrow range of objectives. This has less to do with ideology than it does with abuse of power.

In a country where political consensus is hard to come by, this seems to unify the nation as much as any past war did, this time against the government rather than in support of it.

I don't see this sentiment articulated in the media. Is this wishful thinking on my part, or do you see something like that happening on the ground in Israel?

[Israeli]

9. Thats a difficult question to answer .

Everything concerning Israeli politics has to do with ideology.
Yes we unify at times of war but we are a nation so divided between religious coercion on our way of life and
our attempts to hold on to Democracy and freedom .
Much like Lebanon in the past .

Im not sure what difference our protests against this government will make all I can promise you is that they will
continue .

[Beastly Boy]

11. I wish you the best. Don't stop trying. And please share this wish with all the voting Israelis you know.

[Old Crank]

10. One item glossed over or missed in the article

is that Israel and other Arab states were making progress towards normalization of diplomatic ties and trade.
This may have put that away for another geneation.

[sabbat hunter]

12. Is there

any chance that Israel will see new elections in the near future so we can see Bibi ousted as PM?

[Israeli]

13. I wish I had an answer for you

I dont .

Outside the Knesset, outside Bibi's house in Caesaria and every Saturday in Tel Aviv and all across the
country the protesters are screaming for " elections now "

See :

Gantz says September .

Ehud Barak has taken to the streets to support us and together with Yair Lapid is calling for elections now .

Good article on Haaretz from Barak :

@ https://archive.md/F7gvQ

Its a bit out of date tho .

Bibis polls were crashing until the recent Iran story , now they have jumped up again .
He says no elections while we are at war ......meanwhile the war goes on