Netanyahu: our new Zedekiah

This Tisha B’Av served as a stark reminder of the tragedy befalling the Jewish people and Israel since October 7, with antisemitism peaking, hundreds of Israeli soldiers and thousands of civilians having been murdered by Hamas, and these victims having their deaths celebrated. Alongside that, over 110 hostages are still held by Hamas, many of whom are dead, including some of whom rescued and released hostages had met alive while being held captive. Worst of all, our leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, continues to abandon our hostages and not even lift a finger to bring them back, ignoring repeated advice from the IDF, the United States, and many of his closest allies to accept a deal, all for his own political survival, and to appease his Kahanist ministers, like Itamar Ben Gvir, who oppose a deal and care little about the hostages. 

When Babylon first sieged Jerusalem, King Zedekiah not only embraced them (hence why he was placed as the replacement of his nephew, who was king at the time when the Babylonians first invaded), but he actually coordinated with them and worked with them. Netanyahu has openly empowered and literally financed Hamas and pushed away a peace agreement for years, which is the strongest weapon to defeat an extremist group such as Hamas.

Much like Netanyahu ignoring the IDF, America, and even the Mossad, King Zedekiah ignored Jeremiah and his closest advisors who were giving him advice from Hashem. He chose to think about himself first, and let his ego defeat rationality, leading to the destruction of Jerusalem and the somber occasion which we mourn on this day. His decision to ally himself with Egypt and affront Babylon to attempt to gain power and sovereignty over Jerusalem for himself, against the will of his closest confidants, led to a Babylonian attack that destroyed Jerusalem and our first Beit Hamikdash. 

Netanyahu first ignored his closest confidants when Mossad chiefs, IDF officers, and millions of Israelis spoke out against his Judicial reforms, which sowed division amongst the Israeli public to a new level never seen prior. This decision, made for him to retain full power over Israel, led directly to Israel being its weakest and unprepared in decades, and led to the October 7th Attack. As if being responsible for that attack being able to happen is not enough, Netanyahu continues to ignore those around him and continue this endless and ineffective war, something that leads to our hostages not returning home, Israel’s allies being upset and pushed away, and the world to turn against Israel. 

This Tisha B’Av we must remember that the reason our first temple, which we mourn so fervently, was destroyed, was our leader’s decision to ignore advice and place his own thirst for power over rationality, Hashem, and the well-being of his kingdom. Netanyahu has placed his own ego and power-thirst above the interests and well-being of Israel and Jews worldwide, and has opened Israel to the October 7th attack and a possible Iranian attack, subjected Jews to rising antisemitism, and endangered Jews worldwide at a level never really seen since the Holocaust. In memory of those killed by Hamas, and most of all in memory of our ancestors over millennia, and our beloved first temple, we cannot forget his transgression, and we must fervently speak out against Netanyahu, the egotistical and dangerous Zedekiah of our time, who if not stopped, can bring us to destruction even more so than he already did. 

We must bring the hostages home now. We must push for a safer and better future for Israel. We need peace with our neighbors. And most of all, we need leaders who put the State of Israel and the Jews above their own interests, not vice-versa.