Netanyahu’s joint war with the US began with talk of regime change in Tehran but may leave him with few strategic gains
When Donald Trump launched a pre-emptive war on Iran with Israel in February, many in the country hailed the campaign as the crowning triumph of Benjamin Netanyahu’s political and diplomatic career.
Three months on the regime is still in power in Tehran, Trump is chasing a deal that will reopen the strait of Hormuz to oil tankers, and the reported terms have provoked alarm, dismay and anger in Israel.
“Israel is completely beholden to the decisions of a capricious, hollow and desperate American president,” Nahum Barnea wrote in Yedioth Ahronoth, one of several commentators who condemned both the deal and the Israeli prime minister.
“To Trump’s credit, it needs to be said that at least he tried,” Ariel Kahana wrote in the Hebrew-language daily Israel Hayom. "His bold willingness to unleash the United States’ tremendous firepower on Iran is tens of times preferable over the historic impotence that was shown by all of his predecessors.
“The bottom line is that Iran can and is presenting to the world a victory picture by dint of the very fact that it is still standing. Trump, for the time being, does not have a similar counter-picture of his own to show. That isn’t very good news for the Israeli people.”
Bloody heck these people need a swift head reboot. Jumping into a preemptive war of choice is not something you execute into without knowing you have an endgame, and alternatives already mapped out (not Trump’s strong suit). Further you accept the consequences once you start it, as you can’t deflect very well when a solid peace with good economics was at hand before prior.
Good luck with the polls, I hope they reflect the death and hardship this caused.
Jumping into a preemptive war of choice is not something you execute
This part is fine and true.
without knowing you have an endgame
This part is for psychos, because you fucking don’t start an unprovoked war under any circumstances!!
Good. The tail has wagged the dog for decades. US backing reducing support for Israel may make them reconsider their extremely hostile approach to neighboring countries.
And if the Israeli public are unhappy about this, maybe they should have jailed their criminal prime minister years ago on the mountains of evidence they have, instead of making him the longest-serving PM ever, all while cheering on the war in Iran.
Worry about threats from Iran and its allies are probably behind polling that showed strong Israeli support for the decision to go to war with Iran, even after weeks of missile attacks.
Immediately after the ceasefire, more than a third of Jewish Israelis said they were very or somewhat unhappy about it, compared with just over a quarter who were very or somewhat happy the fighting stopped, according to the Israel Democracy Institute.
At this point we need to treat Israel like Apartheid South Africa. Or, indeed, like Iran. Cut them off from the world completely. Total sanctions, total divestment. They’re not going to vote their way out of this; most Israelis are angry that Bibi isn’t doing enough genocide. They’re not going to elect better leaders, just more competent psychopaths. I’m sorry for the few decent people left in that country, but they’re the exception not the rule.
