Israeli media: 'Israel' plunging into abyss one failure after another

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
11 Sep 2024 14:37
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A former Israeli politician from the Likud Party describes what is happening in "Israel" as a "scandal", pointing fingers at several Israeli leaders.

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Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the annual National Leadership Mission of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, in occupied al-Quds, occupied Palestine, February 19, 2023. (AP)

The Israeli occupation's political and military leaders continue their failed policies without any change, a situation that "exacerbates the security and social crisis and harms hope and public safety," according to Ehud Yatom, a former Knesset member from the Likud Party, in a recent article published in Israeli newspaper Maariv on October 7, 2023.

Yatom described it as a "scandal" that officials remained in their positions following the "day of the terrible failure" on October 7. He condemned senior leaders who, despite being heavily involved in this significant failure, have acknowledged their responsibility, yet refused to step down. Meanwhile, those in lower ranks have kept their jobs, and some have even been promoted, a situation he called a "dangerous, incomprehensible, and concerning phenomenon."

Yatom expressed surprise that Israeli PM Netanyahu continues to hold office, holding him fully accountable, saying, "Don’t give us excuses—the fish rots from the head [meaning the leadership is to blame]." Yatom added that even after the war has entered its 11th month, Netanyahu continues to manage "Israel's" affairs, determine the fate of prisoners, and shoulder "the full responsibility," yet he has not acknowledged the need to accept this responsibility.

He condemned Netanyahu for continuing to "run the country without strategy, without vision and without hope" and also criticized the Israeli occupation's Security Minister Yoav Gallant for his management of the war and approval of special operations led by IOF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.

Shin Bet also responsible for failures

Yatom held Halevi directly responsible for the IOF’s failure to protect settlers in the Gaza Envelope but noted that Halevi has still not resigned. He added that Halevi "appoints officials and determines the face of the army for the coming years."

In his article, Yatom also criticized Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet, who reports directly to the prime minister and is responsible for the failure to issue a warning about Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Yatom pointed out that not only does Bar remain in his position, but he may also appoint officials in the future at the equivalent rank of generals in the Israeli occupation forces.

These new appointments, according to Yatom, will shape the future of the Shin Bet. Yatom lamented that these appointments are being made without considering "the involvement of those appointed to the positions. The seniors, in the biggest and most painful failure since the declaration of Israel's independence."

He described the political scene in "Israel" as "Failure after failure, followed by clinging to power, leading to a lack of accountability and setting no personal example."

"We thought we had seen everything. We thought we could emerge from this severe crisis—a crisis that is operational, intelligence-related, ethical, moral, and national. But we continue to plunge ourselves into the abyss, without brakes, without restraint," he wrote

'Israel' run by traitors, including Netanyahu: Israeli media

"Israel" is being run by individuals who are betraying their positions, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is driving it into the abyss, Israeli newspaper Haaretz said in one of its August editorials.

The article published by the Israeli outlet reflects the internal division and fragmentation within the Israeli occupation and highlights its leaders' failure to manage the regime during wartime.

It further dissects the damage each Israeli leader is inflicting on "Israel", starting with Israeli Minister of Education Yoav Kisch.

According to the newspaper, Kisch "has one hefty mission, that is to ensure the beginning of the academic year as per usual," but has failed to accomplish it, holding him accountable for the education of almost 2.5 million students.

"Kisch's indifference to the fate of public education, the largest and primary system in Israel, mirrors his complete commitment to channeling substantial amounts of money into Haredi education, alongside the destruction of proper administration and the opportunity for a fair future."

Haaretz added that this represents Netanyahu's occupation government's distorted hierarchy of priorities. Like Netanyahu, the newspaper said, Kisch is trying to evade any responsibility and accountability.

The newspaper accused Kisch of being engrossed in providing benefits and scholarships to Haredi education "to the point where there is neither time nor money left to attend to students in formal [public] education."

Kisch was classified as one of many in the "disastrous" government, who stood up the hill and served Netanyahu's "coalition of plunder".

When the end goal is the prime minister's political survival, Haaretz said, then all ministries are simply props in a familiar game, "A game in which sectoral parties grow fatter, each according to its appetite, and these parties have big appetites."

Concluding the article, Haaretz affirmed that the Israeli occupation was run by self-interested groups described as "traitors", saying, "The minister of finance is damaging the economy, the Minister of National Security is damaging national security, the minister of education is damaging the students, and the Prime Minister is driving Israel to the abyss."