From Muslim electorates in Western countries, to a ridiculous UN Security Council resolution, to the U.K. making a grand gesture in favor of Hamas, everything is political and cynical.
Wow! But nothing surprises me anymore. The reality of all you mentioned is in front of everyone's eyes, but as you say, it's all political. With regard to Eylon Levy, that was then, this is now. There are many who felt the same way as Levy before October 7th, and protested against Netanyahu. Maybe they should all be removed from Israel for the same "crime" as Levy? I'm hoping things haven't gotten bad enough before they get better. If something happens to cause Israel to not be victorious, Biden may find himself having to put troops in to help. He'd better be careful what he wishes. He and other leaders are setting the world on fire and when it becomes a conflagration, it will be difficult to put out.
The change in strategy from the so called ‘friends of Israel’ is utterly disgusting and they should hang their heads in shame. They will regret this but too late. Israel must move forward alone and they will succeed. I fully understand that path is long and hard. Many of us are with you, even if our ridiculous leaders are not.
So much of this rings true ! We have to be alert and respond to the lack of support for Israel even from those folks for whom we voted. I’m so disgusted by our governor Gavin Newsom. And Kamala- no room to go?? Be extra wary of Qatar whose big bucks are being used for its own nefarious influence! They’re providing the funds for our local high school to have an Arabic language class . Really!? Is that the contribution Newsom is referring to?
The UN resolution does not mention Israel either. It pertains to both parties to the conflict. And I have confidence in how the Biden administration is handling this. They have knowledge of things about the situation that the general public does not, and Netanyahu really does need to go, which a majority of Israelis apparently agree with.
I’m 100% on board with Hamas being destroyed military, but Netanyahu is a giant security and diplomacy failure, who is damaging Israel to clutch onto this government assembled of pathetic sycophants and sociopaths with close to zero technical capabilities.
Strong language. Not sure I agree with sycophants and sociopaths, at least not for all 60+ people in this government. But I understand where you are coming from. Again, I didn't vote for this government.
I’m coming from reading Times of Israel and Yediot in Hebrew many times a day, and opinion pieces such as Nadav Eyal’s, Ron Ben-Yishai, Avi Issacharoff.
I agree with what you’ve been writing on the pathetic acquiescence of democratic countries to far leftists, progressives and Islamists. At the same time, we are living through a diplomatic October 7, built upon the many years of Netanyahu’s failed leadership, doing nothing as in war after war (2014, 2021, 2023) his government has done zero to create effective diplomacy. As an Israeli living in the US it is unreal to me how weak and incompetent Netanyahu has been on this more important front.
Then try to explain why society, which in the majority, if not hates Netanyahu, then at least does not trust him, is unable to defeat him in democratic elections, but is trying to remove him using behind-the-scenes methods, organizes clowneries and completely ridiculous criminal cases?
Why is a democratic society unable to give an adequate response to a recognized manipulator? Are his manipulations so strong that society cannot do anything about it?
(I’ll say right away that I don’t believe in this and the reason is completely different)
This is a very long topic, but the short version is
* Israeli society is polarized so recent elections have been close. Much of that polarization has been fanned by Netanyahu who found it politically useful to him, and by his sociopathic family (wife and son). If you need proof for this read back to the October posts by Daniel Gordis on his Substack.
* The opposition parties haven’t created a political operator as self-serving and vicious as Netanyahu. He’s fucked up the country strategically and diplomatically but but can he manipulate the egos in the Knesset.
* The opposition, especially the left, are disorganized and infighting - not a surprise if you notice how far Left Bernie nuts behaved in 2016. They didn’t sign vote overflow agreements in this last election which meant that many far right parties benefitted from the extra votes that don’t exactly fit an MK seat.
Next election Netanyahu takes it right in the teeth, but that doesn’t mean the center left wins.
Firstly, no one can polarize society if society itself does not strive for this. Neither Netanyahu, nor his wife, nor his son and all together are capable of long-term manipulation of the majority of the people if the people do not help them.
Secondly, everything you said (my opinion) characterizing Netanyahu is true. What's next? And then hatred or hostility towards Netanyahu causes some people to forget that they live in a democratic country, and others to commit rash acts that could destroy Israel rather than Netanyahu’s rule.
Third. Look where all the energy of discontent is directed? For the speedy and possibly undemocratic removal of Bibi. Do we want this? Of course yes. Do we need this? You can argue, but if you think carefully, you will understand that all this hype “Bibi is to blame” and attempts to free the hostages using the siege of Jerusalem only distract us from the war, enemies and the release of hostages.
Removing Bibi now is Biden's plan for Israel's capitulation to Hamas. And it's not about Biden. If Trump were in his place, he would do the same thing to win the election.
Like any other Israeli politician, if he were in Netanyahu’s place, he would do the same thing as he did in this situation in order to defeat Hamas.
First, no, absolutely not a "both sides" situation. It was Netanyahu and his coalition pushing through a major judicial reform with their minute mandate (64 MKs out of 120). So Netanyahu can avoid standing trial for corruption he was willing to do what would be a constitutional crisis in the US, in order to let his religious right buddies change the laws of the country - both impose more religion by law on the most secular cities, and avoid the draft and taxes at the same time, absolutely abhorrent. The level of corruption behind such a decision, the willingness to polarize the country this much to avoid standing trial - that is unreal. And BTW, all the people him and his corrupt gross family members called "traitors" were first to fight Hamas. And Netanyahu by doing this signaled division and weakness and Hamas and Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies decided that it's the perfect time to attack Israel. That is on him, and that's one reason I want to get to an election ASAP, so he can go his merry way out of government, and hopefully to face the music for his corruption.
What exactly are you talking about with "speedy and possibly undemocratic removal of Bibi"? Who is doing that and how? Israel is stuck with this fool with his bottom of the barrel approval ratings until a no-confidence vote gets a majority in the Knesset, or until 4 years elapse and theres a new election (2026). Protests are legitimate in a democracy, and they're very small since the war started, as most of the country, left, center and right, prefer to win the war on Hamas first. The problem with Netanyahu is that he's a strategic and diplomatic failure, and that endangers concluding this war successfully.
Your second point - what's next? An election where Netanyahu loses. Israel is a democracy, and that's how democracies work. Again, he's not the king of Israel and other leaders, including from Likud (such as Galant) would have been better war leaders. Netanyahu is so married to winning by polarization that he has no clue how to be a unifying war leader. He has failed to step up to being calm and unifying. All he does is try to roll his failure onto others.
If you need examples of "energy of discontent" check out the tweets out of Miami from Netanyahu's spineless son. While my friends, their kids, my cousins are either in conscription or reserve duty fighting this war, the nepo baby is sowing discontent from afar.
Both Biden and Trump have made absolutely idiotic statements - currently it's hard to see which one of them is more ridiculous. I agree that any other Israeli leader would have pressed on with this war, but they wouldn't have shit their pants like him and done nothing for nearly three weeks, they would have pressed harder and faster, and not gotten into insane, pointless arguments with the only real ally of Israel mainly to appear tough to his dumb political base.
Netanyahu is not a failure. Technically, Netanyahu is part of the failure. And he became this part under the pressure of many factors. Including those who fight him.
I haven't liked Netanyahu since 2015, but the longer I watch his decline as a politician, the less I like his opponents.
I do question how Israel fights in the tunnels, destroys, captures etc but Hamas is able to booby trap these areas? Why? How? When you take an area aren’t you supposed to secure it?
I’m not sure what you’re talking about. There’s a difference between taking control of open areas and urban areas that still have civilians and tunnels in them. You probably noticed how IEDs and shooting attacks against coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan happened for decades after taking over those countries.
Since Israel isn’t committing the ‘genocide’ its accused of there are hundreds of thousands of civilians in areas the IDF went into, and Hamas has no ethical problem hiding among civilians. Israel has also only blown up 25-30% of the Hamas tunnels in those areas, so there is room for Hamas to hide. That said, there is no comparison in the scale and type of military capability of Hamas soldiers in Gaza City before and after the IDF rolled in.
Between Netanyahu’s incompetence and the good democratic countries of the world coming to the aid of Hamas, helping to ensure its survival by hiding under human shields in Rafah, this hasn’t been settled. It’s the US that has forced Israel to lower the intensity and is now actively creating a shelter for them.
Joshua, I do fear that you sometimes stray into being Islamaphobic. Most muslims are not bad actors but support Palestinians from their point of view although not one I support. That is not helpful and you would be coming down hard (and do) on any wiff of antisemitism of a similar ilk. It simply weakens your argument. I agree that the UN resolution has only strengthened Hamas but Netanyahu's reaction to the US only compounds this. Israel is losing the propaganda war (on deaths, food and destruction) with the result that it is becoming increasingly isolated internationally with the short and long term consequences yet to unfold. We don't need to exacerbate this but strengthen the evidence there is to counter Hamas propaganda. In this we are currently failing and Netanyahu does not help at all. He really needs to go.
Dude, I’ve been living in Israel for 10 years, and experienced two wars (2014, this one now) and dozens of terrorist attacks. All by Muslims. That is not Islamophobia. That is reality. There have been 44,000 Muslim-inspired terrorist attacks since the early 2000s. I am not an absolutist — every group of people have good and bad, including the Jews. But there is only one major group killing others in the name of Islam.
Also, Israel has been losing the “propaganda war” (not sure it’s even winnable) since the 1970s. That is not a Netanyahu problem (although I’m not a fan). That is an antisemitic problem.
Also, Israel has been losing the “propaganda war” (not sure it’s even winnable) since the 1970s. That is not a Netanyahu problem (although I’m not a fan). That is an antisemitic problem.
Wow! But nothing surprises me anymore. The reality of all you mentioned is in front of everyone's eyes, but as you say, it's all political. With regard to Eylon Levy, that was then, this is now. There are many who felt the same way as Levy before October 7th, and protested against Netanyahu. Maybe they should all be removed from Israel for the same "crime" as Levy? I'm hoping things haven't gotten bad enough before they get better. If something happens to cause Israel to not be victorious, Biden may find himself having to put troops in to help. He'd better be careful what he wishes. He and other leaders are setting the world on fire and when it becomes a conflagration, it will be difficult to put out.
Very well said.
The change in strategy from the so called ‘friends of Israel’ is utterly disgusting and they should hang their heads in shame. They will regret this but too late. Israel must move forward alone and they will succeed. I fully understand that path is long and hard. Many of us are with you, even if our ridiculous leaders are not.
So much of this rings true ! We have to be alert and respond to the lack of support for Israel even from those folks for whom we voted. I’m so disgusted by our governor Gavin Newsom. And Kamala- no room to go?? Be extra wary of Qatar whose big bucks are being used for its own nefarious influence! They’re providing the funds for our local high school to have an Arabic language class . Really!? Is that the contribution Newsom is referring to?
Damn! Qatar, it looks like they are playing the world with associates Tehran, Russia, China, as the west capitulates.
Well done. Sad but true. All of it. Ramadan? The irony is so ridiculous if you wrote this , it would be considered absurd.
The UN resolution does not mention Israel either. It pertains to both parties to the conflict. And I have confidence in how the Biden administration is handling this. They have knowledge of things about the situation that the general public does not, and Netanyahu really does need to go, which a majority of Israelis apparently agree with.
Time will tell.
I’m 100% on board with Hamas being destroyed military, but Netanyahu is a giant security and diplomacy failure, who is damaging Israel to clutch onto this government assembled of pathetic sycophants and sociopaths with close to zero technical capabilities.
Strong language. Not sure I agree with sycophants and sociopaths, at least not for all 60+ people in this government. But I understand where you are coming from. Again, I didn't vote for this government.
I’m coming from reading Times of Israel and Yediot in Hebrew many times a day, and opinion pieces such as Nadav Eyal’s, Ron Ben-Yishai, Avi Issacharoff.
I agree with what you’ve been writing on the pathetic acquiescence of democratic countries to far leftists, progressives and Islamists. At the same time, we are living through a diplomatic October 7, built upon the many years of Netanyahu’s failed leadership, doing nothing as in war after war (2014, 2021, 2023) his government has done zero to create effective diplomacy. As an Israeli living in the US it is unreal to me how weak and incompetent Netanyahu has been on this more important front.
Agreed for the most part.
Then try to explain why society, which in the majority, if not hates Netanyahu, then at least does not trust him, is unable to defeat him in democratic elections, but is trying to remove him using behind-the-scenes methods, organizes clowneries and completely ridiculous criminal cases?
Why is a democratic society unable to give an adequate response to a recognized manipulator? Are his manipulations so strong that society cannot do anything about it?
(I’ll say right away that I don’t believe in this and the reason is completely different)
This is a very long topic, but the short version is
* Israeli society is polarized so recent elections have been close. Much of that polarization has been fanned by Netanyahu who found it politically useful to him, and by his sociopathic family (wife and son). If you need proof for this read back to the October posts by Daniel Gordis on his Substack.
* The opposition parties haven’t created a political operator as self-serving and vicious as Netanyahu. He’s fucked up the country strategically and diplomatically but but can he manipulate the egos in the Knesset.
* The opposition, especially the left, are disorganized and infighting - not a surprise if you notice how far Left Bernie nuts behaved in 2016. They didn’t sign vote overflow agreements in this last election which meant that many far right parties benefitted from the extra votes that don’t exactly fit an MK seat.
Next election Netanyahu takes it right in the teeth, but that doesn’t mean the center left wins.
Firstly, no one can polarize society if society itself does not strive for this. Neither Netanyahu, nor his wife, nor his son and all together are capable of long-term manipulation of the majority of the people if the people do not help them.
Secondly, everything you said (my opinion) characterizing Netanyahu is true. What's next? And then hatred or hostility towards Netanyahu causes some people to forget that they live in a democratic country, and others to commit rash acts that could destroy Israel rather than Netanyahu’s rule.
Third. Look where all the energy of discontent is directed? For the speedy and possibly undemocratic removal of Bibi. Do we want this? Of course yes. Do we need this? You can argue, but if you think carefully, you will understand that all this hype “Bibi is to blame” and attempts to free the hostages using the siege of Jerusalem only distract us from the war, enemies and the release of hostages.
Removing Bibi now is Biden's plan for Israel's capitulation to Hamas. And it's not about Biden. If Trump were in his place, he would do the same thing to win the election.
Like any other Israeli politician, if he were in Netanyahu’s place, he would do the same thing as he did in this situation in order to defeat Hamas.
First, no, absolutely not a "both sides" situation. It was Netanyahu and his coalition pushing through a major judicial reform with their minute mandate (64 MKs out of 120). So Netanyahu can avoid standing trial for corruption he was willing to do what would be a constitutional crisis in the US, in order to let his religious right buddies change the laws of the country - both impose more religion by law on the most secular cities, and avoid the draft and taxes at the same time, absolutely abhorrent. The level of corruption behind such a decision, the willingness to polarize the country this much to avoid standing trial - that is unreal. And BTW, all the people him and his corrupt gross family members called "traitors" were first to fight Hamas. And Netanyahu by doing this signaled division and weakness and Hamas and Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies decided that it's the perfect time to attack Israel. That is on him, and that's one reason I want to get to an election ASAP, so he can go his merry way out of government, and hopefully to face the music for his corruption.
What exactly are you talking about with "speedy and possibly undemocratic removal of Bibi"? Who is doing that and how? Israel is stuck with this fool with his bottom of the barrel approval ratings until a no-confidence vote gets a majority in the Knesset, or until 4 years elapse and theres a new election (2026). Protests are legitimate in a democracy, and they're very small since the war started, as most of the country, left, center and right, prefer to win the war on Hamas first. The problem with Netanyahu is that he's a strategic and diplomatic failure, and that endangers concluding this war successfully.
Your second point - what's next? An election where Netanyahu loses. Israel is a democracy, and that's how democracies work. Again, he's not the king of Israel and other leaders, including from Likud (such as Galant) would have been better war leaders. Netanyahu is so married to winning by polarization that he has no clue how to be a unifying war leader. He has failed to step up to being calm and unifying. All he does is try to roll his failure onto others.
If you need examples of "energy of discontent" check out the tweets out of Miami from Netanyahu's spineless son. While my friends, their kids, my cousins are either in conscription or reserve duty fighting this war, the nepo baby is sowing discontent from afar.
Both Biden and Trump have made absolutely idiotic statements - currently it's hard to see which one of them is more ridiculous. I agree that any other Israeli leader would have pressed on with this war, but they wouldn't have shit their pants like him and done nothing for nearly three weeks, they would have pressed harder and faster, and not gotten into insane, pointless arguments with the only real ally of Israel mainly to appear tough to his dumb political base.
You've oversimplified the concept of failure.
Netanyahu is not a failure. Technically, Netanyahu is part of the failure. And he became this part under the pressure of many factors. Including those who fight him.
I haven't liked Netanyahu since 2015, but the longer I watch his decline as a politician, the less I like his opponents.
I do question how Israel fights in the tunnels, destroys, captures etc but Hamas is able to booby trap these areas? Why? How? When you take an area aren’t you supposed to secure it?
Probably robotics.
I’m not sure what you’re talking about. There’s a difference between taking control of open areas and urban areas that still have civilians and tunnels in them. You probably noticed how IEDs and shooting attacks against coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan happened for decades after taking over those countries.
Since Israel isn’t committing the ‘genocide’ its accused of there are hundreds of thousands of civilians in areas the IDF went into, and Hamas has no ethical problem hiding among civilians. Israel has also only blown up 25-30% of the Hamas tunnels in those areas, so there is room for Hamas to hide. That said, there is no comparison in the scale and type of military capability of Hamas soldiers in Gaza City before and after the IDF rolled in.
Between Netanyahu’s incompetence and the good democratic countries of the world coming to the aid of Hamas, helping to ensure its survival by hiding under human shields in Rafah, this hasn’t been settled. It’s the US that has forced Israel to lower the intensity and is now actively creating a shelter for them.
I really appreciate your explanation; you seem to know more about this than I do. Was hoping someone could elucidate. Thanks!
Joshua, I do fear that you sometimes stray into being Islamaphobic. Most muslims are not bad actors but support Palestinians from their point of view although not one I support. That is not helpful and you would be coming down hard (and do) on any wiff of antisemitism of a similar ilk. It simply weakens your argument. I agree that the UN resolution has only strengthened Hamas but Netanyahu's reaction to the US only compounds this. Israel is losing the propaganda war (on deaths, food and destruction) with the result that it is becoming increasingly isolated internationally with the short and long term consequences yet to unfold. We don't need to exacerbate this but strengthen the evidence there is to counter Hamas propaganda. In this we are currently failing and Netanyahu does not help at all. He really needs to go.
Dude, I’ve been living in Israel for 10 years, and experienced two wars (2014, this one now) and dozens of terrorist attacks. All by Muslims. That is not Islamophobia. That is reality. There have been 44,000 Muslim-inspired terrorist attacks since the early 2000s. I am not an absolutist — every group of people have good and bad, including the Jews. But there is only one major group killing others in the name of Islam.
Also, Israel has been losing the “propaganda war” (not sure it’s even winnable) since the 1970s. That is not a Netanyahu problem (although I’m not a fan). That is an antisemitic problem.
Also, Israel has been losing the “propaganda war” (not sure it’s even winnable) since the 1970s. That is not a Netanyahu problem (although I’m not a fan). That is an antisemitic problem.
Why doesn't Israel use a ceasefire for relocating the fugitives in Rafah?
Something tells me Hamas wouldn't allow this as part of a ceasefire agreement.