Time to dump Netanyahu

Thus, the lack of urgency by the government to make peace produced public complacency and disillusionment with the political parties. What made matters worse is that a steadily growing number of Israelis are moving to the right-of-center. Even the opposition parties, who have been advocating Israeli-Palestinian peace, are now reluctant to speak vociferously about the need to end the occupation, fearful of being branded as traitors.

Recent polls taken in Israel suggest that Netanyahu may still win a relative majority and form the next Israeli government. Such an outcome will be disastrous for Israel because it would simply mean that there will not be peace with the Palestinians. Israel will face a growing danger because the status quo is unsustainable and potentially explosive, and the continuing conflict only encourages Iran to continue to instigate extremist Palestinians, including some elements of Hamas, to harass Israel and deprive it from living in peace and stability.

Although it is unlikely that the old and new parties from the left and left-of-center will coalesce around one leader who can seriously challenge Netanyahu and his party, at minimum they should agree on a joint platform that offers a road map for peace with the Palestinians. Indeed, Israel is in desperate need of a new, visionary, courageous, articulate, and honest leader who would commit to and remain relentless in the search for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

The former chief of the Israel Defense Forces, Benny Gantz, who has just formed his own party-Resilience for Israel-may well succeed in giving Netanyahu a run for his money, provided that other left and centrist parties support him. The question is, will the leaders of these parties for once put the national interest above their party and their lust for power?

Perhaps they should remember that despite Israel's miraculous achievements in science, technology, medicine, economic development, agronomy, military prowess, and even space exploration, its destiny rests on peace.

The upcoming parliamentary election offers Israelis a historic opportunity to rid themselves of the revisionist, nationalist, and blindly zealous leaders like Netanyahu who have steered Israel astray and subjected it to the ominous danger of losing its democratic principles and its Jewish national identity.