Al Jazeera Net correspondents
Occupied Jerusalem- Overshadowed by the person of the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu As a focus of disagreements on the Israeli scene regarding the war on Gaza, where the debate unfolded between the political level and the “war cabinet” regarding the ground battle in the Gaza Strip, which enjoys the consensus of the military establishment.
The hidden differences became evident when Defense Minister Yoav Galant refrained from responding – during the joint press conference with Netanyahu and National Camp leader Benny Gantz – to questions regarding the difference in positions with Netanyahu regarding the conduct of the war on Gaza and the nature of the ground incursion, and his position aimed at launching a pre-emptive strike onHizb allah Even before the escalation of tension on the border with Lebanon, a position that Netanyahu had reservations about.
During the conference, the first signs of hidden differences came out into the open, when Netanyahu refrained from answering questions from Israeli journalists regarding the news that he had obtained reports from the General Security Service months ago.Shin Bet“Aman” military intelligence warns of the increasing possibility of war breaking out without dealing with it.
Disagreements intensified between the Prime Minister and the National Emergency Government coalition, when Netanyahu refuted Israeli reports that stated that the military establishment and intelligence agencies had submitted reports to his office at the beginning of this year, warning of the consequences of a war breaking out on several fronts, and did not rule out the scenario of a surprise attack that the Islamic Resistance Movement might launch (agitation) on “Gaza cover“.
In a tweet, through his account on the X platform, Netanyahu accused the army and intelligence services of responsibility for failing to warn and prevent the events of “Black Saturday” on October 7th.
His tweet was met with strong criticism from partners in the emergency government coalition and members of the “War Cabinet,” and Gantz addressed Netanyahu, saying, “When Israel is at war, the leadership must be responsible, take the right steps, and support the army and security forces to achieve what is asked of them.”
Gantz renewed his full support for the commanders of the army, intelligence services, and heads of the security services, while he attacked Yair Lapid The opposition leader, head of the “There is a Future” party, accused Netanyahu of evading responsibility and shifting it to the military and security leaders who are waging a war against Hamas and Hezbollah, which prompted Netanyahu to delete his tweet, apologize for its content, and admit that he “made a mistake.”
Evasive and misleading
To avoid the extent of the damage caused by his statements, Netanyahu hastened to conduct an inspection tour of the Israeli naval forces alone and without the accompaniment of members of the “war cabinet.” He praised the navy and its readiness for war, telling them, “You are surrounded by a sea of love and appreciation from the citizens of Israel. You are protecting and defending the home.” “.
Amid these disputes, Maariv newspaper writer Ben Caspit called for the immediate ouster of Netanyahu, and said, “Netanyahu has caused enough damage, and must be removed from power,” adding, “The man who was supposed to bear responsibility continues to evade and mislead, and operate a machine.” “Poison tainted as if we were in an election campaign, we cannot allow ourselves to keep him at the top of the pyramid.”
Nir Kivness, editor of the Walla news website, believes that Netanyahu’s controversial political career accompanies Israel in the war on Gaza through disagreements and differing positions regarding his person and approach. He said that Netanyahu is working in light of the war on the political front to promote the narrative of “a cautious and responsible prime minister, who was led to failure by a group of failed generals who did not provide warning in a timely manner.”
The political analyst, Akiva Eldar, believed that this Israeli debate during the war originally reflects the existing dispute in the political scene over the person of Netanyahu, who, in the midst of the war on Gaza and the tension on the northern front with Lebanon, is waging a battle over his political future, as he fears that the war will topple him – despite its results. – From the prime minister’s chair, and then ending his political career in a humiliating manner.
Escape policy
Commenting on Netanyahu’s tweets, which he retracted, political analyst Al-Dar told Al Jazeera Net, “It has become clear that Netanyahu is continuing his approach of escaping forward, and his refusal to bear responsibility for the failure to prevent the sudden attack by Hamas. Rather, he went so far as to blame it on the army and the leaders of the intelligence and security services.”
He believes that these differences reflect the depth of the crisis that Netanyahu has been going through since the shock of the “Al-Aqsa Flood,” and indicate his nature in dealing with the combat rounds and military operations that the army conducted during his tenure as prime minister, as he was always described as “afraid, hesitant, and cowardly.”
The political analyst pointed out that these differences suggest that those who are leading the course of the war are Galant, Gantz, and Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy, which is an indication that the war was imposed on Netanyahu, who seeks to keep it under a dim flame and manage it in a way that serves his personal interests.
Disintegration and corrosion
Political affairs editor at Haaretz newspaper, Ravit Hecht, says, “A matter like this has never been witnessed in Israel before. A prime minister, in the midst of war, while Israeli army soldiers are risking their lives, and the Israeli people are burying their dead, holds the heads of the security services responsible for the failure that led to To the Black Saturday disaster.
Hecht continued, “This is a step that disintegrates the front that leads the war, erodes the soldiers’ confidence in their leaders, and harms national security,” indicating that Netanyahu is “like a thief in the night, a narcissist who does not control his motives. Even in light of war and emergency, and in complete contradiction to the line that He tried to settle it to avoid criticism, and only a few hours after a press conference with his partners who resented and disgusted him – Galant and Gantz -, Netanyahu chose to attack the army and intelligence, to fortify himself and weave a narrative that absolves him of any responsibility.
She confirmed that all the evidence taken together, most notably Netanyahu’s tweet, indicates that most of his thinking is not about the war and its developments and saving the people of Israel, but rather is focused only on how to evade responsibility and get away with it. “With thinking like this, it will be very difficult for Israel to win.”
