Israel's continued bombardment of the Gaza region has yielded no tangible results, other than civilian casualties and global anti-Semitic sentiment. On the contrary, Hamas is still fighting back, and Israel's internal contradictions are intensifying, and it is facing its biggest crisis since the beginning of the war. According to sources, Egyptian intelligence agencies alerted Israel to Hamas's attacks in the early days of the war, but were deliberately ignored by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Now, public opinion in Israel is once again discussing the matter, questioning Netanyahu's blind self-confidence that led to the current predicament. Netanyahu's first reaction was to pass the buck, claiming that he had never received intelligence from Hamas, only to be refuted by military intelligence officers and the head of the National Security Agency. This statement sparked public outrage in Israel. Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz publicly criticized Netanyahu by name, demanding that he retract his statement and stop discussing the matter, which was supported.
In the current state of war, the leadership must show a sense of responsibility and support the troops, and Netanyahu's actions have already undermined the capabilities of the Israeli army. The statement quickly drew support from within Israel, including accusations from the opposition party "Own the Future". Even Netanyahu's allies began to mention it. In the face of all-out opposition from political and military factions, Netanyahu chose to delete statements on social media and apologize. Bottom line: Accusations against Netanyahu are growing stronger within Israel, including opposition from political and military factions. Netanyahu's blind self-confidence has led to a difficult situation for Israel, and his shirking of responsibility has sparked public outrage. In the current state of war, the leadership should show a sense of responsibility and support its own troops. Netanyahu's actions have undermined the capabilities of the Israeli army. My view is that Netanyahu should take responsibility for his mistakes, live with the consequences, and take steps to restore Israel's domestic unity.
Finally, do you think Netanyahu's rhetoric has had a negative impact on the capabilities of the Israeli army? Please leave a comment to discuss. Israel's internal conflict is far from over, and public opinion is beginning to convey a hint that "everyone must give an account after the war." This hint effectively means that Netanyahu may step down. We can see a couple of obvious problems with this. First, Israel's leaders are not on the same line and do not have enough capacity to deal with the current situation. As a politician, Netanyahu's first reaction after the revelations was to dump the blame. However, this "instinctive" reaction became the trigger for the internal conflict in Israel. Especially when the battle on the front line is not going well and the soldiers are emotionally unstable, he dares to put the responsibility on the army, which is simply asking for his own death. The slightest carelessness can lead to a mutiny.
Second, Israel has deliberately cultivated populism and extreme religiousism for a long time, although this model has brought great convenience in the process of oppressing Palestinians, and there is not much psychological burden on the bottom enforcers. However, once difficulties are encountered and movement is hindered, the problem begins to shift from the outside to the inside, turning into a "time bomb". If the high-level contradictions further intensify, this "time bomb" may detonate at any time. At this critical juncture, Israel needs to think calmly and act in a timely manner. First, leaders must come together to address the challenges of the day, putting aside their personal interests. They need to stay calm in a high-pressure environment and find the best way to solve the problem instead of passing the blame on to someone else. Second, Israel needs to examine its own domestic policies, especially in cultivating populism and extreme religiousness. While this approach has benefited Israel for a period of time, it has exacerbated domestic problems.
Israel should pay more attention to balance, promote inclusive and harmonious social development, and avoid further escalation of internal contradictions. Finally, we have to ask ourselves the question: will Israel be able to remain united in the current crisis and find the best way to solve it? Please leave your comments to share your views and suggestions with us.