Netanyahu’s Moment is Now

(Written January 18th 2024)

Yes, Binyamin Netanyahu was at the helm of the country on October 7th and as such, he too – as he himself has belatedly said – “will have to answer questions.” Netanyahu will have to answer for his failure to protect the citizens of Israel, for his disastrous complacent validation and promotion of the “conception” of a deterred Hamas and of the doctrine of “quiet will be met with quiet.” Him, and many others, will have to pay for these tragic mistakes. There will be no other choice but to resign. Now however, is not the time. The war that is currently in progress, while it cannot stop questions from being asked, inquiries from being launched, and fingers from being pointed, does not warrant his immediate resignation – quite to the contrary. The multifront war and other imminent threats that Israel is facing demand a leader of stature and experience, as well as a uniter, one with no interest other than what is best for Israel. And that leader, whether you like him or not, is Binyamin Netanyahu. 

Although it might seem counter-intuitive to many, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu remains our best option to achieve an undisputed victory against Hamas and other Iranian proxies threatening Israel. As long as he recognizes that his political career has already ended, as long as he rules as if there were no political tomorrow (because for him, there simply isn’t any), Netanyahu can lead us to a historical victory. Not the October 6th Bibi, not the “status quo” Bibi nor the “Mr. Security” Bibi but a Netanyahu on the brink, uncorrupted by power, free of party politics, a Netanyahu indifferent to old and new rivalries. His political future is now. This war, which will define Israel’s immediate future, is his legacy. Not that it matters. What matters is the outcome of this war for Israel, not Netanyahu. And this is precisely the point – Netanyahu finds himself in a unique position, almost enviable: no more party tactics, no more friends or foes in the Knesset, no more electoral platform, no more untenable promises – embodying the leader that Israel needs to ensure the Jewish State’s unquestioned future. 

The first step in this emancipated leadership is recognizing that this is not a one-person job. Netanyahu started off in the right direction when he invited – not that he really had a choice – former Chief of Staff Benny Gantz who of course accepted, and Opposition leader Yair Lapid, whom, making a historical mistake, declined, while vowing his unconditional support from the sidelines. Turns out that promise had a short-term expiry date. Netanyahu should also have invited Naphtali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman to join the cabinet for their understanding of the conflict, and their clairvoyance in hindsight. It’s not too late. An enlarged and united war leadership such as the one in place today – the triumvirate consisting of Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant former Chief of Staff Benny Gantz (along with Gadi Einzenkot and Ron Dermer as observers) and possibly Liberman – is necessary not only to reflect the unity within the people and exemplify this unity at the highest echelon, but to make decisions that transcend the Israeli political spectrum. But showing willingness to unite is not uniting. Netanyahu will have to try harder, surpass himself: rally, build bridges, bring together. This means putting his outrageous ego aside, imposing more discipline within his own ranks, making more concessions to his opponents and forgoing previous alliances in constructive ways, listening earnestly to all grievances and finding ways to coalesce everybody. This is now his life mission and it is crucial if Israel is to be victorious. The calls for his immediate resignation are irresponsible.

Bibi has become a convenient scapegoat for many Israelis and non-Israelis alike who accuse him of having brought on the 7.10 massacre. As such, they judge him incapable of leading the country to victory – a position certainly understandable in light of the catastrophe, but short-sighted when considering the stark and dangerous road Israel is now on. Abroad, the growing chorus of “Yes to Israel but no to Bibi,” while it may sustain a flimsy dialogue between fragile supporters of Israel that are united by their hate of Bibi, fails to provide an actual and sensible alternative. Supporting Israel means supporting its leaders. The trend of blaming Bibi for all of Israel’s woes is picking up again, in Israel, and abroad. Some members of the Jewish community in France for instance, noted recently that playing into the demonization of Netanyahu sadly helps secure a line of communication between Jews and non-Jews. But let’s be honest, who else will lead us to victory? Benny Gantz? Whose vision remains unclear until this day despite being involved in 5 national elections? Who claims to be above political games while never ceasing to play the game of politics? Yair Lapid, maybe? Who refused to sit in the emergency government unless Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich were summarily ousted, clinging to that same enmity which fractured our country in the first place? How can you claim unity and reject it de facto?

Unity is not just a slogan or an abstraction; it’s an act of kinship despite ideological divides, and is one of the most powerful strengths of the Jewish people, as has been demonstrated by millions of Israelis and Jews around the world for the past three months. But as the mortar holding us together is drying, the wall of solidarity is cracking again. Prior to the attack, each side accused the other of fracturing our country, unwilling to make the slightest concession, preferring to sacrifice the supreme value of Unity on the altar of their respective visions of the world. Now that we have seen what unity can do, the power of a united Israel, we should protect it, nurture it, so that it lasts as long as possible. The act of unity that followed the 7.10 attack, whether it is our people’s natural defence mechanism or survival mode, or for some, more of a supernatural response, has generated a transformative quality which our leaders must uphold at all costs, Israel’s prolonged existence depends on it.

Netanyahu finds himself today in an extraordinary position where he bears responsibility for Israel’s greatest failure as well as that of what could be its greatest victory. For this to happen, the Bibi-haters will have to make an effort too and redirect their anger towards Hamas. Israel has an unprecedented opportunity to ensure a better future for itself; let us then hope that Netanyahu, his haters and all the Jewish people will rise to the challenge.