Not Winning Means Losing

Netanyahu’s war against Hamas has created a crisis, the end of which now seems to be no different to many of the conflicts, mostly far greater, in the last 5 decades. We have seen it all before: Russia’s failed venture into Afghanistan; The Americans in Vietnam; The U.S, invasion and war in Afghanistan; Lebanon 1; Russia’s invasion into the Ukraine.  And there are more but let that suffice for now. 

The lines of similarity are familiar. A powerful nation gets embroiled in a war which, at the outset seems like a walkover, however over time, the cost in blood, resources, national resilience, the trauma and, to be brutally honest, the humiliation of not winning – read losing – leaves scars, loss, humiliation and frankly speaking – defeat of the more powerful nation. 

I say Netanyahu’s war for reasons that are obvious but need some clarification. Many have stated, including this writer, that following the horrific invasion into Israel by Hamas on October 7, the abuses and slaughter conducted by this jihadistic terror group, a total rethink needed to take place before the gut reaction of yet a greater slaughter of the people of Gaza. 

Netanyahu and his generals, his security apparatus, his advisors got it all wrong before October 7. They thought Hamas had been tempered by Qatar aid, filtered into Gaza by none other than Netanyahu himself. What was he thinking? That these vast sums were for buying toys? Even a fool would know that this jihadist organization used the funds for weapons, tunnels, and a future attack.

As stated before by many wiser than me, the attack on 7/10 exposed a vast hole in concept, situational analysis, civilian defense, military intelligence and more. Rather than stop for a moment, internalize that we were surprised and beaten on day one, think about the mass of hostages trapped in Gaza, simply admit the structural and conceptual failure and try to create a full all-for-all exchange of prisoners and hostages followed by a complete halt to violence by reaching out and exploring an end, and in fact admitting the failure, however the shame –  the hunger for revenge and the lust to stay in power no matter what – this perverted vision has driven this war without end.

Call it what you will – the vast bombing of Gaza which included the killing of thousands in their homes has not achieved its goal namely of total obliteration of Hamas and an end to the conflict. Hamas is still standing; smashed, limping, raging, yet endlessly taking lives of Israeli soldiers daily, firing rockets, holding aid meant for civilians and, holding hostages in shocking conditions. 

In retrospect it is no surprise that following the mass bombings, thousands killed in their homes, the forced migration of Gazans from North to South to North again, the disaster of failed aid for locals albeit Hamas and local gangs to blame, Israel is in a very bad place. The result has been massive pro Palestinian demonstrations worldwide. Israel’s very standing in the family of nations has been damaged: this isn’t Russia here where you can bomb thousands of people indiscriminately in their homes and get away with it.

To put it bluntly, Netanyahu lost the war on day one, the 7th October. Not his generals, not his advisors, not his security machine – yes they are all complicit, but Bibi was at the head, he called the shots, he set the tone: Gaza had been tamed according to his doctrine. The heads of any corporate entity, or public entity for that matter that was bankrupted so humiliatingly would be fired by the board on day one and replaced. Of course in a democracy it’s different. We cannot fire the prime minister until election time….unless he looks in the mirror and resigns. 

The blind spot that seems to be present in Netanyahu’s Likud party now dominates the national conversation: a scandal of massive proportions regarding Qatar’s influence on the government’s inner circle – all this while they were fueling Hamas with cash to buy weapons and to dig tunnels. So bizarre is this scenario, that one wonders how much worse could it get?

Dear Bibi – you need to resign. Here are the reasons:

2. The failure of October 7th rests at your feet. Not the generals, not the people of Israel. You were at the head. You are to blame. Your idea of setting up a government commission of enquiry fools no one. We need an independent judicial commission of enquiry. If you are  innocent of responsibility for this disaster, you have nothing to fear. But of course you know very well you were at the head and you are to blame so you reject this. For the tragedy at Miron it was ok. For the greatest military disaster in Israel’s history, you reject it – because you fear it.
3. Men greater than you have lost wars and withdrawn from never-ending conflict: Just recently Both Trump and Biden initiated the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Nixon withdrew from Vietnam. Remember that Israel withdrew from Lebanon in the eighties despite Israel’s vastly greater power. Gorbachev withdrew from Afghanistan. Putin is losing his war aginst Ukraine. Soldiers are dying daily in Gaza. Hostages are starving. Your finest farewell from your position as prime minister and resigning, could be taking us out of Gaza.
4. Your corruption trial isn’t going away. The stains of pink champagne, the gifts, the cigars, the cozying up to owners and editors of the mainstream press in exchange for favors, fool no one.
5. Your failure regarding the conceptual fools paradise you offered regarding Hamas as a tamed mouse set in motion an attitude of apathy, laziness, and complacency all the way down the military and the intelligence network, echoing affirmative feedback right back to you. You can’t deny this – YOU gave Hamas Qatari money to weaponize. Now YOU need to go.
6. Men greater than you have known the time to leave the stage. Begin simply said “I cannot, any longer…” and departed. Do you really want to hear the charge of “Guilty!” by the courts? You have a kind president in Israel today: let him usher you out of trouble with a pardon for your own sake and that of the people of Israel.
7. You are a wanted criminal worldwide by the International Court of Justice. It’s unfair, of course but sadly this reflects on the people of Israel – now being hounded out of vacation spots, hotels and in countries once friendly. Resign. Let another leader with a vision for peace in the middle east find the diplomatic path to bringing Israel back into the family of nations.
8. You are held hostage by the ultra orthodox fanatics in Israeli who neither serve in the army nor contribute to society. Resign. End this destructive blackmailed Likud regime.
9. You are tied down by settler fanatics in your government who have created chaos in occupied territory and destroy Israel’s esteem abroad and negate peace. 

Resign. Give peace, justice and harmony a chance. We need to rebuild. You had your good moments over the years. But we in Israel need a new contractor to repair, renovate and build our future home.