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How Netanyahu’s coalition prevents an end to the war on Gaza

  • Robert Inlakesh Robert Inlakesh
  • Source: Al Mayadeen English
  • 21 Dec 2023 00:41
  • 2 Shares
9 Min Read

It is now obvious that Benjamin Netanyahu is finished and that Hamas has delivered the knockout blow to his leadership.

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  • How Netanyahu’s coalition prevents an end to the war on Gaza
    How Netanyahu’s coalition prevents an end to the war on Gaza

As it becomes ever more apparent that there is no military victory ahead for the Zionist entity in Gaza, only a civilian annihilation or ethnic cleansing that will lead to regional war, it has become clear that the Israeli Prime Minister is trapped by the fanatics in his ruling coalition.

After more than two months of war on the Gaza Strip, the Israeli military is empty-handed and has nothing that could be construed as a victory. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Resistance, with its largely domestically produced weapons arsenal, has managed to deal one mighty blow after the other to the invading Zionist forces, using innovative guerilla warfare tactics. It is in this light that the US government and its fellow Western allies have now changed their rhetoric on the issue and are looking for a way out.

The Israeli army is in a state of crisis. On the one hand, it is embroiled in fierce battles that are taking place in the Gaza Strip while also having to deploy a significant portion of its assets in the north for fear of what could happen in the event of an escalation from Lebanon or Syria. It is not only economically costly for the Israeli military to have recruited so many reserve forces - which reportedly numbered 300,000 in October - but many of them are simply unprepared and ill-motivated to take part in meaningful battles, resulting in higher-ranking officers leading the way and facing their fate of death and injury. 

The Israeli economy is in shambles. Its forces are without any real victories, the political leadership has largely lost the trust of the population it governs, and it has become clear that the goal that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set forth to "eradicate Hamas" is unachievable. Understanding this as a basis for assessing what is currently happening is crucial.

It is now obvious that Benjamin Netanyahu is finished and that Hamas has delivered the knockout blow to his leadership. Yet, the Israeli Premier seems to be seeking any route toward remaining in power or at least providing himself with some kind of narrative to run with as his government's collapse is inevitable. 

At this time, the US Biden administration is starting to place more pressure on the Israeli entity, specifically when it comes to the issue of West Bank settler violence. Meanwhile, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, which had for some time staunchly remained backers of continued warfare, joined France in voting in favor of a UN General Assembly vote calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The US again vetoed a draft resolution, put up for a vote at the UN Security Council (UNSC) following the triggering of article 99 of the UN Charter by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Yet, when the US used its veto power at the UNSC, it did so while standing alone, as even the UK chose to abstain and used its platform to speak on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The developments in the stances of the collective West’s governments are indications that the support, for the continuation of the Zionist regime's genocidal war, is beginning to dwindle, even among its staunchest supporters. What it also indicates is that the US is not far behind its allies and is attempting to close in on forcing an end to the war, but the question of when remains a mystery.

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The formula for ending the war seems to be focused on the notion that the Palestinian Authority (PA), which is based in the occupied West Bank, will take over some level of control in Gaza’s post-war phase. Given that in 2017, both the PA and Hamas had agreed on implementing a deal, whereby the PA would take civil control over the Gaza Strip and Hamas remains there as a security element, there is a chance that something can be worked out. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that Hamas will remain as the Resistance force of the Palestinian people in Gaza, while the PA is brought in to manage civil administration. Under such an agreement, the West's sanctions on Gaza could be lifted, the siege ended from the Egyptian side, and the reconstruction phase could well bring prosperity to ordinary Gazans.

It has become clear that the US has been talking to the Palestinian Authority to discuss some sort of an end-stage solution, which has sparked the outrage of Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition partners and even led to the Israeli PM threatening war on the West Bank. Understanding that the PA’s security forces manage "security coordination" with the Israelis while maintaining close relations with, and funding from, Western governments, many have been caught by surprise as to the outrage over the talks with the PA.

What has to be understood here is that Netanyahu has to keep the fanatics in his coalition happy, specifically those who identify with the settler movement inside the occupied West Bank. For the likes of Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the PA is more of a threat to the Zionist project than Hamas is. Why you may ask, as the PA has adopted strictly non-violence in the face of the occupier? This is because Hamas controls Gaza, which is not particularly important to the settler movement and is viewed as more of a nuisance to them, while the West Bank is what they call “Judea and Samaria” that the settlers see as the biblical Jewish heartland. Therefore, the PA, which is legitimized at the United Nations and lays a legal claim to the West Bank and the eastern part of occupied al-Quds, is an existential threat to their project to permanently "annex" the so-called Jewish biblical heartlands.

Already, Ben-Gvir, the head of the Jewish Power Party - which forms part of the Religious Zionism alliance in Netanyahu’s coalition - has threatened to withdraw from the coalition in the event that the war on Gaza ends without destroying Hamas. Without the Religious Zionism alliance, which views the PA as an existential threat to its goals, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is over, and if he is seen to be handing over more control to the Palestinian Authority, these fanatical politicians will become enraged with him and likely seek retribution. 

The problem is that the fanatics do not understand that the only way to prevent a regional war that will inevitably result in the destruction of the Zionist entity is to end the attack on Gaza soon and secure a deal that will at least bring stability for the foreseeable future. They are extremists who are governed by a racist emotional connection to their fascistic ideology and will not be able to accept that a defeat of Hamas is not possible. This is where the US is likely concerned that in the event that Netanyahu's government collapses and there emerges an extremist opposition to the next Israeli government - which will be a de facto US puppet - there could be some sort of "civil-war style" struggle between Israelis themselves, whether this is going to be led by Netanyahu or not.

Unfortunately, it seems that the US is politically inept and is allowing for unlimited killing for an unknown period, hoping that all the right chips will fall into place. It appears to be waiting for this moment, which comes at the expense of thousands of Gazan civilian lives. There is also the problem that this moment may not come at all, and the extremist Zionist regime will continue at all costs, even if that means suicide. If Benjamin Netanyahu is of the opinion that his political career and keeping himself out of jail is more important than the survival of the Zionist entity, he could well choose to take unprecedented steps in the West Bank and even against foreign countries. If this happens, the US will be dragged into an impossible scenario.

The Israeli entity's current leadership is finished and cannot accept it, which is why they are throwing their soldiers into the meat grinder and inflicting horrifying daily massacres on the people of Gaza - and even the West Bank Palestinians too - which achieves nothing. All attempts at propaganda victories have proven to be failures, yet they keep attempting to achieve the image of victory, which now seems to be centered around the idea of taking al-Shujaiya neighborhood in Gaza.

The Netanyahu-backed extremists believe they are acting in the best interests of the Zionist project, while they are, in fact, the reason why it is being dragged to such a humiliating defeat. This can only end one of two ways, in regional war or a ceasefire settlement that provides a future of stability for the people of Gaza. None of this can be achieved with the current regime in power, yet the Biden administration is still twiddling its thumbs and sending its bombs.

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect Al Mayadeen’s editorial stance.
  • Gaza Strip
  • Occupied Palestine
  • Extremist government
  • Palestine
  • Israeli aggression
  • Israel
  • Benjamin Netanyahu
  • Israeli occupation
  • Itamar Ben-Gvir
  • Betzalel Smotrich
  • Gaza
  • European Union
Robert Inlakesh

Robert Inlakesh

Political Analyst, Journalist, and Documentary Filmmaker.

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