Ten questions for the Prime Minister of Israel

Dear Mr. Prime Minister,

When you go to sleep at night or when you have breakfast (after having your hair fixed and your make up put on), here are some questions you might want to think about:

1. Why have you abandoned the hostages to rot and die in the tunnels of Hamas in Gaza? And how do you really feel about this? Do you have any feelings such as guilt or regret?
2. Why do you torture the families of the hostages by sending people to fruitless negotiations, when you have no intention of reaching a deal that would bring their loved one’s home? You have raised their hopes so many times and then you torpedo the negotiations with new conditions that make progress impossible! Why? Why have you played this deceitful, irresponsible game (of life and death) over and over again? Doesn’t it bother you sometimes, in your conscience (if you still have one?) What has been the point of these futile and useless negotiations all these months if you have never been serious about a second deal since November 2023?
3. Why do you refuse to accept any responsibility for the greatest catastrophe to have happened here since the founding of the state of Israel, namely the massacres and kidnappings of Israeli (and foreign) citizens on October 7th, 2023? After all, you were the Prime Minister at the time! And you were the one who pumped up Hamas all the time, and arranged for millions of dollars to flow to them via the Qataris, while downgrading the Palestinian Authority. Also, you were warned many times by the security establishment about a possible attack by Hamas, and there were documents that you saw about it! What did you do to prevent this massive tragedy?
4. In a normal country, the Prime Minister would have resigned. Did you think about it? In retrospect, don’t you think that it would have been the correct thing to do? (Hint: it is not too late, even now. Imagine how happy you would make most of the citizens of Israel and the world feel!). Some people say that you will never resign, that you will hold onto power at all costs, to avoid your corruption trials? Would you really conceive of doing this, despite what it does to the people of Israel? Do you even know that many people in Israel refer to you as “Crime Minister” (see photo above) due to the reports of your indictments in the media here over many years? How do you feel about that?
5. How do you really feel about having brought Itamar Ben Gvir, the head of the political party known as  “Jewish Power “, an avowedly racist (Kahanist) party, into the government? And does it make you happy that you appointed him as Minister of National Security (the police)? Are you proud of this? Are you pleased by his behavior as a minister in your government? Or, perhaps you feel some regret? Perhaps you have noticed the chaos that he brings to the Temple Mount (against your wishes?) and to his appointments within the police and to his condoning (and instructing!) policy brutality against the peaceful demonstrators all over the country, people who simply want their loved ones to be brought home by the government that abandoned them? Perhaps you harbor some mixed feelings about bringing this convicted criminal thug and his cronies (some of whom are even crazier than he is) into your coalition? Do you ever hear or read the outrageous and immoral statements that they make in the Israeli media every day? Do at least some of them disturb you for their overt racism or downright stupidity? When you look in the mirror, do you sometimes think that you made a mistake by bringing these irresponsible anarchists into your coalition? Or, do you think that they are “fine people”, like your friend Donald said about the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville several years ago.
6. Same questions about your bringing into the fold another irresponsible thug by the name of Betzalel Smotrich, the head of the Irreligious Anti-Zionism political party which he mistakenly calls “Religious Zionism”. Not only did you appoint him to be Minister of Finance, a position for which he is totally unqualified, but you created a position for him as Minister of Creeping Annexation, within the Ministry of Defense, a job that has allowed him to sow chaos all over the West Bank! Are you really proud of this? Do you think that it was one of the great political decisions of your very long (too long, don’t you think?) political life? Or maybe, just maybe a little bit, you might concede, when you are all alone, that this was one of the hugest mistakes you ever made? Do you ever listen to his outlandish speeches and statements to the media, which cause so much harm to Israel’s reputation in the world? Don’t some of them give you pause, at least sometimes? How do you feel about the fact that Smotrich and Ben Gvir opposed every effort you made to try to reach a deal for the return of the hostages? And how do you feel about their constant threats to leave your coalition if you would do anything constructive or courageous to actually try to achieve a deal in good faith? And why have you given in to all their threats every time?
7. What do you mean by “total victory” in this current war? Is there any end in sight? And what are your plans for the “day after“ ? Do you have any such plans? There are rumors that you plan to re-occupy Gaza! Are these rumors true? There are other reports that many of the ministers and MK’s in your coalition want to re-establish settlements in Gaza? Do you go along with this? Does this make good sense to you? And what about the more than two million Palestinians living in Gaza, mostly in tents? What are your creative plans—and those of your partners in the government, for their health and welfare—schools, health clinics, hospitals, nutrition, etc., etc.?? You must have some good plans for them too, no?
8. And what about the war of attrition in the north? What would you like to do up there? Reconquer Southern Lebanon, like in the good ol’ days of 1982-2000? Would you like to have a regional war, including with Iran? You have always wanted to attack Iran but in the past the IDF prevented you. Perhaps now is a good time? Maybe you should wait a few months to see if your friend Donald gets elected (Heaven Forbid!) but isn’t his political party isolationist? I’ve heard that they don’t like foreign wars, only domestic ones against their own citizens. Bottom line: do you have any realistic plans for the north, besides more and more war? I’ve heard that the Biden-Harris administration—and most of the Western world—has suggested to you (a thousand times) that you can end the war in the north by ending the one in the south! Why, for Heaven’s sake, have you not paid them any genuine attention!?
9. What are your plans for returning the thousands of citizens of the north –who have been evacuated from their homes since last October—to their homes and communities? I’ve heard that they are very angry that you don’t meet with them and don’t seem to care very much about them. Why don’t you meet with them? What are you hiding from them? Perhaps you don’t want to tell them that your forever war may take many years? Or that a regional war would cause more harm and destruction to them and their communities? They are waiting to hear from you (as are the rest of the citizens of Israel and of the world). What do you have to say to them (other than empty slogans)?

10. Finally, Yom Kippur is coming up soon. This is a time for heshbon nefesh, for self-examination. Where will you go to schul? With Ben Gvir in Kiryat Arba? Or Smotrich in his settlement in the West Bank? Or with Rabbi Deri in a Shas synagogue? Or with some of your other ultra-orthodox partners? Perhaps you are aware that there is a long recitation of sins that Jews say on Yom Kippur. Which ones will you emphasize? For example, “we have sinned against You by ignoring our responsibility” or “ we have sinned against You by plotting against others?”

These are just questions (among many others) for you to think about during this month of repentance. I hope that you use the time productively.