10 times 'Israel' battered itself since October 7
5 Min Read
In this piece, Haaretz sums up "Israel's" setbacks since October 7, delving into the depths of the government's failures.
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Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers his speech after a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in occupied al-Quds, Sunday, March 17, 2024. (AP Photo, Pool)
The Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, reported on the blows "Israel" dealt to itself since October 7 until now on all fronts.
Blow number 1: Evacuating the north
Tens of thousands of settlers along the border with Lebanon were urgently evacuated without properly thinking about their fate and the military goal behind emptying an entire strip of its population.
Instead of calming them, the Israeli government instigated fear and, days later, ordered the evacuation. It has not yet developed an organized plan to end the war in the north and return the settlers. Rather, the government continues to put all its eggs in the basket of Biden’s administration as it attempts to push for a diplomatic solution. Meanwhile, thousands of evacuated settlers have decided they are not going back.
Blow number 2: Gaza
The newspaper highlighted that while the goal of the ground incursion into the Gaza Strip was to eliminate Hamas, “Israel” ended up destroying Gaza City and is nowhere near destroying the Palestinian Resistance group, which is still standing strong
Blow number 3: No strategy
The third blow, according to the newspaper, is the absence of any strategy, considering that “Israel”, after six months of the war, still has no plan in Gaza. The Israeli army deployed almost the entire regular and reserve force, which spent months of fighting, in which hundreds of soldiers were killed and thousands were wounded, yet the practical outcome was zero. Hamas is still active, and there is still no political feasibility for maneuvering.
Blow number 4: Forsaking the captives
The official goal of the war at its beginning was to destroy Hamas’ military and governmental power in Gaza. Meanwhile, the return of the 250 Israelis taken captive on October 7 was later added to the list and has since remained a secondary priority. This is evident in the Cairo and Doha talks.
Blow number 5: Humanitarian crisis
The newspaper said the all-out war on Gaza caused a severe shortage of food, water, and medicine in the Strip, pointing out that the entire world, including its allies, blamed “Israel” for being the cause behind it.
Blow number 6: Fake unity
Haaretz pointed out that the pre-war protest movement was accused of producing “divisive rhetoric” and “weakening the Israeli army,” concealing the fact that it was the failed government that created division in its attempt to weaken the judicial system and undermine the rule of law.
Even after October 7, the newspaper continued, “Israel” remained as divided and polarized, and the attempt to cover this up by waving the banner of “unity” in vain (while Netanyahu continues to incite his mouthpieces against his critics) serves one side only and that is the side that is evading its responsibility for the terrible prevalent reality.
Blow number 7: Budget plundering
The Israeli newspaper highlighted how the implicit transfers made to communities supported by the ruling parties are ongoing and even increasing in pace while the budgets for reserve soldiers, evacuees, and the families of the captives are facing delays. This is mirrored in a deficit that has already doubled and is represented by tax increases and the downgrade of “Israel’s” credit rating, not to mention the cumulative damage to the economy, all of which will take many years to heal.
Blow number 8: Lack of discipline
Israeli soldiers’ lack of discipline is manifested, according to Haaretz, in the videos filmed by Israeli soldiers themselves bragging about sabotage and looting, torturing detainees, and arbitrarily bombing civilian buildings for no reason, all of which went viral and caused greater damage to the image of the army and “Israel”.
Lack of discipline is also a direct cause for ignoring operational procedures, as the Israeli army itself was forced to admit when its own investigation revealed that the World Central Kitchen employees were killed [by “Israel”] despite entering Gaza in prior coordination with them.
Blow number 9: Absolute victory
The newspaper said that from the moment Netanyahu coined the hollow term “absolute victory,” it was clear that it was a desperate attempt to restore his status as the only leader capable of securing victory as part of his comprehensive escape from responsibility.
It confirmed that the term failed to achieve its purpose and, in fact, became the subject of contempt and mockery, not to mention that it had a negative impact on the discourse. Netanyahu’s political opponents, as well as Israeli army generals, feared that they would be seen as “defeatists”, so they refrained from telling the public the painful and complex truth.
Blow number 10: Strike on Iran’s consulate in Syria
The strike, which killed 7 IRGC advisors, was a grave mistake, according to the Israeli newspaper, the responsibility of which is to be shared by the intelligence community, especially the Intelligence Division in the Israeli army, and the political elite, headed by a person who presented himself years ago as the best expert on Iranian affairs, and thus he greenlit the strike. The newspaper concludes that this mistake was certainly not worth opening another front, while the Israeli army is suffering immensely in the Gaza Strip and the northern border [with Lebanon].
