Netanyahu is dragging Israel down on his catastrophic journey to hell

Does Netanyahu understand that he cannot gain either tactical or strategic victory against Iran and its surrogates, nor will he be able to restore deterrence against them as they have the time and resources to resume violence at will?

Even though his generals, the head of the Shin Bet, the Mossad, and the Minister of Defense have been accusing him of deliberately sabotaging a deal by refusing any term of a ceasefire, while President Biden is blaming him for prolonging the war, Netanyahu remains defiant. Every time Hamas and Israeli negotiators came close to reaching an agreement, he introduced new demands. He is simply controlled by his outrageously extreme-right coalition partners, especially Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, who threatened to resign and topple the government if he accepted any deal-an outcome he desperately wants to avoid, knowing that once he is out of office, he will face three criminal charges and the wrath of the nation that feels betrayed because he put his political survival above that of the country.

In his recent statement to the press, he said: "We will continue to apply military pressure on Hamas and its senior figures, until the return of all of our hostages and achieving all of the war goals." Nothing could be more contradictory and misleading than this statement, as the reality on the ground attests to how far he is from pressuring Hamas' senior figures and achieving the objectives of the war.

Netanyahu should know that for every Hamas leader killed, two or three will emerge to replace him, and although Hamas sustained a setback, its followers will become even more radicalized. And if Netanyahu's objective of the war is to crush Hamas entirely and prevent it from ever reconstituting itself in Gaza, this goal seems to grow elusive by the day. Indeed, after ten months of deadly fighting, Hamas remains operative and continues to recruit and train new fighters. Many of Hamas' fighters are reemerging in places where Israel has driven them out.

It is hard to describe what Netanyahu has done to his country. The tension between the people, the consuming anger with the government, and disgust over the unfolding events have added a deep sense of despair that many Israelis feel, not knowing what to expect next. As the prime minister, who is supposed to lead and be governed only by what is best for the country, he has no strategy and no realistic plan that would end the war, bring the hostages back home, and forge a future of peaceful Israeli-Palestinian coexistence. Time is running out as Israel is awaiting coordinated retaliations that could break into a regional war.

It is the greatest tragedy that Israel has experienced since its creation. There will be no salvation until Netanyahu is driven out of power because he is dragging Israel down on his catastrophic journey to hell.