Netanyahu 'at war with almost everyone': WaPo

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Washington Post
21 Jun 2024 14:43

Ishaan Tharoor argues that Netanyahu "is pulling what levers he can in an increasingly desperate quest to cling to power."

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony at the Nahalat Yitzhak Cemetery in Tel Aviv, on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is engaged in many battles, pointed out Ishaan Tharoor in an analysis piece published in The Washington Post on Friday titled "Israel’s Netanyahu is at war with almost everyone."

Tharoor says that "Israel" remains involved in the war on Gaza, in parallel with escalating tensions with Hezbollah along the border with Lebanon.

But according to the writer, Netanyahu "is also picking fights closer to home and much further away," recalling that the Israeli premier has recently dissolved the War Cabinet, which had been composed of a small group of officials, including more moderate political rivals, formed as a unity to manage the aggression on Gaza following the Palestinian Resistance's Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023.

Disagreements over Netanyahu's handling of the war and his appeasement of "Israel's" far-right have rendered the war cabinet's purpose void, the writer indicated, adding that the prime minister has clashed with Israeli generals, with a growing number of public disputes emerging among senior leaders.

Netanyahu's clash with Biden

Tharoor moves on to Netanyahu's clash with US President Joe Biden, whom he attacked earlier this week for reportedly withholding weapons from "Israel" and thwarting its goal of completely defeating Hamas. The writer considered that Netanyahu's criticisms of the White House, which ignored the substantial support the Biden administration has provided to "Israel", "seemed calculated to curry favor with his right-wing base and boost Biden’s own Republican opponents."

He cites former US envoy to "Israel", Martin Indyk, as saying that "Israel" is at war on four fronts: Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon, and Iran. "What does Netanyahu do? Attack the United States based on a lie that he made up!"

"Netanyahu, a wily politician and Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is pulling what levers he can in an increasingly desperate quest to cling to power," the writer argues in his analysis, adding that internal anger over his apparent unwillingness to commit to a ceasefire agreement that would lead to the release of the remaining Israeli captives has fueled new protests this week and calls for his resignation and new elections.

Tharoor cites a new poll by the Pew Research Center, which found that Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant's approval ratings among Israelis are "far higher" than Netanyahu's.

In the same context, the writer points out that Netanyahu insists that "Israel" must be allowed to "eliminate" Hamas, despite US officials believing that the Palestinian group's military capability has already been significantly degraded. He mentions that many senior experts also argue that Hamas cannot be completely defeated militarily without a lasting political solution to what he called "the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" – a view that is now also resonating among senior Israeli military leaders.

Most recently, the spokesperson of the Israeli military, Daniel Hagari, acknowledged that the goal of "eradicating Hamas" is unattainable, stressing that "Hamas is an idea, Hamas is a party. It’s rooted in the hearts of the people — anyone who thinks we can eliminate Hamas is wrong."

According to Tharoor, Hagari appears to be clearly referring to Netanyahu and his further-right allies, including far-right cabinet ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, whose support is crucial for the Israeli premier to remain in power.

The writer notes that the Israeli far right has vehemently opposed potential postwar scenarios that involve concessions to Palestinians, including proposals for the Gaza Strip to be administered by a Palestinian entity and funding for the territory’s reconstruction.