Reacting to the Commentaries On The Blog: Understanding Netanyahu

In the blog Understanding Netanyahu, I was trying to understand why he insists on continuing the war, even though hundreds of thousands of Israelis are marching, demonstrating, and demanding that he make a deal with Hamas to stop the war and free the hostages. Why is he continuing this war when it appears he is not winning?

Moreover, the Israeli defense forces told Bibi that trying to free the hostages with military force won’t work. As Israeli soldiers approach where the hostages are held, Hamas kills them. So why continue this war? It is also provoking worldwide hostility.
 
Why provoke Iran by killing the political leader of Hamas, who was in Iran at the time, and violating Iran’s sovereignty? What did Israel gain from killing the military leader of Hezbollah? Thousands of rockets have been fired on Israel in response, and over a hundred thousand Israelis had to be relocated from their homes in the north, refugees in their own country.
 
His actions need understanding. My scenario, presented in the blog, is that there may be a hidden agenda we are not privy to—that both the U.S. and Israel are provoking Iran so they have a reason to attack, remove the ayatollah regime and stop the nuclear development.

On second thought, I think this explanation is weak. Bibi could have made a deal with Hamas, stopped the war, gotten the hostages back, and waited for Hamas to attack again—which it will—and that would give him enough reason to resume the war, the provocations, and attack Iran. Additionally, this explanation falls apart if the West and Israel have concluded that (a) a nuclear Iran is not dangerous or (b) Iran is not developing a military nuclear device, thus eliminating the need to attack it.
 
What else could explain Netanyahu’s decisions?

By continuing the war, he stays in power and avoids going to trial for corruption charges that could land him in jail. This is the most common explanation I’ve received from almost all Israelis I’ve spoken with. I have trouble accepting this reasoning. Netanyahu grew up in a family of strong Zionists. His brother gave his life trying to save hostages in Entebbe. Bibi himself served in a combat unit and was wounded. I do not believe Bibi with this kind of background, just to avoid trial and jail, would consciously prolong the war, sacrificing the lives of over 700 Israeli soldiers (and counting), sacrifice untold Israeli civilians, and over 5,000 badly injured Israeli soldiers. Plus, thousands of Palestinians have been killed or wounded. If this is true, then he is corrupt beyond what I can imagine.
 
Maybe his actions can be explained by the influence of Ben Gvir and Smotrich’s expansionist ideology to build a Greater Israel without Palestinians. When the war started, I wrote to Lapid, head of the opposition, suggesting he offer Bibi a deal: remain prime minister, Lapid would convince the legal system to close Netanyahu’s files, and, in exchange, Bibi would fire Ben Gvir and Smotrich from being in the government and include the opposition instead. Netanyahu refused. This indicates that his alignment with Ben Gvir and Smotrich, whether to expand Israel or just to remain in power, is not mere imagination on my part. This approach, however, means an ongoing war for generations. It’s a very dangerous solution because every fifth person on this planet is Muslim. Like in Bosnia, many Muslim volunteers would likely show up to fight. The Palestinians, aided by the global Muslim community, can afford to lose many wars. Israel can only afford to lose only one. Moreover, prolonged terror is unsustainable for Israel, whose defense forces are composed mostly of reservists. Serving for prolonged periods will destroy the economy.

Another explanation that, maybe, explain his decisions is that Netanyahu is completely determined to prevent the creation of a two-state solution. Thus, he is allowing illegal settlements in the occupied territories which make a second Palestinian state nearly impossible to execute. It would require resettling between 20,000 and 50,000 Jewish settlers who are religiously determined to stay put, because they believe the land was given to them by God. Resettling such settlers, driven by religious conviction and armed, could lead to civil war. This would be especially dangerous, as several Israeli generals and many soldiers side with the settlers, putting the Israeli defense forces in a difficult dilemma.

To avoid a Palestinian state being established, he needs to stay in power and in order to stay in power he needs to heed Ben Gvir and Smotrich's strategy of expanding Israel and continuing the war.
 
Another explanation I’ve heard in Israel is that Netanyahu is being influenced by his wife, Sara, who is said to be pulling the strings behind the scenes and is not psychologically stable. A similar situation occurred in Serbia with Mira, the ultra-nationalist wife of Slobodan Milosevic, who pushed him to make decisions that led to war and his eventual downfall, ending in jail, where I believe he committed suicide.
 
What else can explain Netanyahu’s decisions that have left many people puzzled? Is he not thinking clearly? It’s possible, but if so, why is his cabinet following him? Don’t they see where these decisions are leading?
 
Another explanation is that we simply do not understand his genius. If you accept this explanation, good luck. I wish you well.
 
The explanation I find most probable is that Netanyahu is continuing the war because his personality cannot accept defeat. People with his style avoid admitting defeat by expanding the problem that is defeating them. It’s like a compulsive gambler who, after losing, doubles his bet until he is bankrupt. Then his family goes bankrupt. Eventually, he becomes a casualty of the mafia to whom he owes money. As I have written in previous blogs and in a video blog when the war started, this is the explanation I have adopted, as I have encountered such personalities in my work. Trump couldn’t accept defeat in the elections. Milosevic couldn’t accept defeat in Kosovo. Many business executives can’t accept defeat in the marketplace or in a failing marriage.
 
As a leader we cannot understand his decisions, decisions that are leading to the demise of the country, it is imperative he be replaced. But he would not resign. As stated above he will hold on to power at any cost for one reason or another. WHAT TO DO? I covered in a previous blog that a workable solution requires changing the mind state of Israeli people who at present are seeking revenge for the October 7 massacre and for the killing of helpless hostages, old men and women. Since Israel is the only country that can solve the Palestinian problem, Israel has to take responsibility and one solution is a Marshal plan where Israel invests funds on behalf of the Palestinians and it invests too, so there is a trust whose funds are used to rebuild Gaza in a partnership of Israel and Palestine.

I was criticized for this proposal because they claimed there is no one on the Palestinian side we can talk to. I do not believe that. There must be some who have a clear-thinking mind who realize the Jews will not abandon Israel and this war is only destroying both nations.
 
Another feedback was that the Palestinians are animals. Not trustworthy. We can not rebuild Gaza with them. My response: we chose this neighborhood to live in. We either change the neighborhood and go live somewhere else, or learn how to live together in some kind of respectful partnership. We have no other choice.