Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, recently claimed he is ready to permanently end the Gaza war if Hamas lays down its arms—a demand suggesting that, after conceding to Iran, he now seeks to conclude the conflict with Hamas.
The New York Times writes: “A prominent accusation against Netanyahu is that he prolonged the Gaza war for personal political gain. Everyone we spoke to agreed on one thing: prolonging the war has served Netanyahu well. However, accepting a ceasefire poses a risk to him and his fragile cabinet.”
The American outlet adds, regarding Israel’s aggression against Iran: “Continuing the Gaza war strengthened Netanyahu’s coalition and gave him time to plan and execute his attack on Iran—a war that, even according to his staunchest supporters, kept him in power. But now, it’s clear Netanyahu has clung to power through deception and warmongering.”
On Netanyahu’s motives for attacking Iran, the New York Times notes: “Before warplanes flew toward Iran, Netanyahu had to address a domestic issue. Several lawmakers in his fragile coalition, unaware of his secret plans, were set to topple his government. They planned to join opponents in a vote to dissolve parliament and trigger new elections, which seemed likely to pass. While Netanyahu could still order the attack on Iran as interim prime minister, its legitimacy would be undermined.”
The newspaper continues: “As ultra-Orthodox leaders considered toppling Netanyahu’s government, Mike Huckabee, Donald Trump’s ambassador to Israel, came to his aid. Huckabee invited the hardline politicians to the U.S. embassy, warning them that their actions would undermine Israel’s attack on Iran.”
On Netanyahu’s flawed strategy, which only fueled regional unrest and ultimately led to Israel’s defeat against Iran, the New York Times argues: “These multifaceted actions kept Netanyahu in power, revealing his relentless efforts to secure political survival by appeasing and deceiving his coalition allies and financial backers in the U.S. government. Most importantly, Netanyahu’s actions highlight his instrumental use of wars—whether in Gaza, Lebanon, or Iran—to stay in power. The plan to attack Iran was the only thing that stopped the Haredim from dissolving the government, and Bibi knew it.”
With U.S. participation, the Israeli regime launched aggressive attacks on Iran’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity at dawn on June 23, targeting nuclear facilities, military bases, residential areas, and medical centers, resulting in the martyrdom of several military commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians.
