January 20, 2024 14:12
Correspondent Mark Rowen, BBC News (Jerusalem)
Image courtesy of Getty Images
Image description,
Cabinet member Gadi Eisenkot refutes statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right).
Key ministers in Israel’s wartime cabinet criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday for not telling the truth about the goals of military operations in the Gaza Strip.
In response, Cabinet minister Gadi Eisenkot, a retired general, said those calling for the “total defeat” of Hamas were “not telling the truth.”
He also said that Prime Minister Netanyahu was “clearly responsible” for failing to protect Israel from the Hamas attack on October 7, and that he had “absolutely no confidence” in the current government, calling for a snap election.
Hamas absorbed southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,300 people and taking about 240 hostages.
Tensions are growing within Israel’s government, with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant reportedly barely speaking to each other, and the rift between Israel and its Western allies is deepening.
In response to Netanyahu’s comments, John Kirby, the National Security Council’s strategic communications coordinator, said the United States and Israel “clearly have different views.”
A US State Department spokesperson said that Israel’s security problems cannot be resolved without a Palestinian state.
Many countries that support Israel, such as the United States, as well as those that oppose Israel, are calling for a “two-state solution,” in which the Palestinian and Israeli states coexist side by side.
According to the White House, President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Netanyahu on the 19th for the first time in about a month and discussed a two-state solution.
Asked at a subsequent press conference whether a two-state solution would be impossible while Netanyahu remains in office, Biden said: “No, it’s not impossible.”
But Mr. Netanyahu has opposed a Palestinian state for much of his political career. As recently as last month, he declared publicly that he was proud of having prevented the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Nearly 25,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel’s military operation, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. Arguing against the Biden administration at such a timing will further increase Mr. Netanyahu’s international isolation.
The US government has repeatedly lobbied Israel’s military policy. It encouraged attacks using precision-guided weapons rather than full-scale air strikes. They were told to refrain from ground attacks. He called for a two-state solution and argued that the Palestinian Authority should play a role in post-conflict Gaza.
But the U.S. government’s advice often falls on deaf ears, causing some American officials to become increasingly frustrated with President Joe Biden’s administration, which is fully supportive of Israel.
Amid the conflict’s high death toll, Israel’s allies are calling for the revival of a long-shunned two-state solution as the only way to achieve lasting peace.
But his comments seem to indicate that Mr. Netanyahu wants exactly the opposite. Mr. Netanyahu undoubtedly hopes that his line will eventually be similar to that of Donald Trump’s administration once he returns to the US presidency.
In the first place, it is possible that Mr. Netanyahu, with whom Mr. Trump has been close for some time, purposely provided remarks denying the “two-state solution” at this time as support material in order to appeal to voters who support Israel during this US presidential election year. There is also gender.
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US President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu (Photo from last year’s meeting)
In Israel, support for the prime minister continues to decline, and Mr. Netanyahu is increasingly relying on far-right forces to support his government.
According to a recent poll, only 15% of Israelis want Netanyahu to continue as prime minister after the conflict.
Many Israelis continue to support military operations against Hamas, but want the return of the remaining hostages to be prioritized over the unattainable goal of annihilating Hamas, which may not be possible.
Mr. Netanyahu’s comments also deny that Arab states should mediate the conflict.
Saudi Arabia is dangling bait in Netanyahu’s face, saying it will normalize its borders with Israel if it concludes a cease-fire agreement that includes a two-state solution.
However, Prime Minister Netanyahu appears to be betting his political survival on his hardline anti-Palestinian stance.
Netanyahu can no longer promote himself as “Mr. Security” after the worst attack in Israel’s history occurred during his tenure.
Mr. Netanyahu is now “Mr. Anti-Palestinian Independence.” Although he is beginning to lose affection for the prime minister, he believes his position aligns with public opinion in a country traumatized by the existence of a neighboring Palestinian state.
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2024-01-20 05:17:26
