Regardless of the difficulties posed by the Israeli politics and its electoral system, the time has come for action. Leaders need to govern and even moreso during a crisis. It is becoming clearer to all that the barbaric and tragic attack against Israel perpetrated by Hamas on October 7 followed by the almost four-month war in Gaza, must come to an end. Immediate hostilities must stop if only for an extended cease-fire, to permit the return of the remaining hostages.
To arrive at this juncture, however, requires serious leadership and regardless of the inhumane attitudes having been manifested by the leaders of Hamas, Israeli leaders need to step forward and wrest control of the nation from the hands of the totally selfish and self-absorbed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
In the past Israel has been led by other leaders who were egotistical and cocky. At the end of the day, however, they always put the interests of the nation and the Israeli people ahead of the own personal desires. Ariel Sharon was a true Israeli enfant terrible. From the days of Israel’s 1948 War of Independence, Sharon was an exceedingly brilliant, dangerously aggressive, infantry and paratroop fighter. He eventually became a formidable hardline national security leader and major right-wing politician in Likud.
Despite this, when Ariel Sharon become Prime Minister in 2001 he made decisions which totally challenged many of the right-wing premises which had dominated his entire political career. Not only did he support Palestinians’ right to their own land but was committed to a future Palestinian state. Eventually, Sharon would order the unilateral Israeli disengagement from Gaza in 2006.
Sharon understood that realpolitik was more important for the future safety and security of Israel than was remaining ideologically rigid. At the end of the day, Sharon made decisions that he believed were in the best interests of the nation even if he would be denigrated and repudiated by his lifetime “friends and supporters.”
When Menachem Begin became prime minister, after serving as leader of the opposition for almost 30 years, despite his strong hardline, right-wing history, it would be Begin who would invite President Anwar Sadat to Jerusalem. Their reciprocal meetings would eventually lead to their signing the Camp David Accords ending the war with Egypt.
Begin’s sterling statesmanship was recognized by all, even while fighting off intensive dissenters from within his own party. Subsequently, Begin was overwhelmed with the Lebanon War; the casualties of the conflict for which he felt responsibility; errors he might have committed in his conduct of the war; as well as his wife’s passing; Begin resigned the premiership. The welfare and future of Israel was far too important for him to cling to power.
It is precisely these models and others which Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu must emulate. Like Prime Minister Golda Meir following the military’s lack of preparedness for the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Netanyahu needs to accept political responsibility for his mishandling of the circumstances which led to Israel’s unpreparedness for the Gaza War and resign. It is long past time--now that the war is moving towards a new phase--for political affairs of the nation to be entrusted to a leader who is seeking to finesse his own political, legal, and financial affairs and escape culpability for the tragedy that has befallen his country.
Netanyahu’s personal arrogance and political failures have thrown Israel into a crisis with polarizing right-wing extremists driving the country’s agenda, militarily as well as politically. Bibi’s unwillingness to accept responsibility for his mistakes is leading Jews in Israel and around the world to fear for Israel’s future. The damage that Netanyahu has exacerbated in Israel’s relationship with the United States and especially with President Biden is setting the stage for possible political repercussions from which Netanyahu expects a second Trump Administration will save him.
Israel’s future relationships with its immediate neighbors as well as throughout the region is hanging on Israel accepting a formula to bring home as many hostages as may still be alive in the hands of the inhuman Hamas leaders. Israel cannot persist in its campaign to destroy an enemy which encompasses an ideology which will not be broken on the battlefield.
Only moving to a ceasefire can begin a process to bring the confrontation to some type of possible modus vivendi. This is what leaders do, as Netanyahu has seen over Israel’s 75-year history. They do not cling to power when there is no realistic positive exit. Israel needs a leader to step forward to reset its ship of state.
Please replace previous text with errors
Every single reasonable, American, Israeli or citizen of the world,, whether Jewish or not, agrees with your analysis and objective.
There are not hundreds of thousands but the millions of Israelis who agree, and are willing to take any measures necessary to achieve what you suggest
But given the complexity of the Israeli political system, and their egregious mistake in adopting an English style, parliamentary democracy, there is absolutely no one who has come up with any plausible plan to exit Netanyahu or render him interested in the general welfare of his people.
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Every single reasonable, American, is really, citizen of the world, where the Jewish or not agrees with your analysis and objective.
There are not hundreds of thousands but the millions of Israelis call agree, and are willing to take any measures necessary to achieve what you suggest
But given the complexity of the Israeli political system, and their ridiculous submission to an English style, parliamentary democracy, there is absolutely no one who has come up with any plausible plan, either to expel Netanyahu, or render him interested in the general welfare of the Israeli people.