War Cabinet discussion, January 25, 2024/Iti Beit-On/L.A.M
Those with keen ears who listen carefully to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speeches must have noticed in recent weeks the comeback of the first person singular and the increasing frequency of the use of the word "I" with its many declensions.
For example, on Monday, during his outspoken and extroverted visit to the heroic IDF soldiers who participated in the rescue of the two hostages, Louis Herr and Fernando Marman, hours after the daring and successful operation in Rafah, Netanyahu's statement largely amounted to me, and me and me, or alternatively: I confirmed, I saw, I welcomed , in the style of a Roman general.
This is a non-scientific, but not bad, measure to gauge his mindset and state of mind: at the beginning of the war, in the first weeks after the October 7 massacre, his statements sounded a little different, with much more "we", and the division of the stage - And the blame - with others. As time passed, Netanyahu recovered and returned to his custom and the language of the self, which is mainly used for achievements and successes, of course, while the failure and the enormous security disaster he and his mouthpieces have been working all the time since then to spread to others.
And this is not only expressed verbally or in the solo appearances at the press conferences: In the last month, Netanyahu has diluted and isolated the war cabinet from making decisions about the day after in Gaza and the negotiations for the release of the kidnapped. He takes the hands of Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot off the wheel and navigates independently and alone, maneuvering according to his needs between the cabinets and between the full right-wing government and the White House, and rejects, as usual In the Holy of Holies, all the difficult decisions that will be required to return the 132 abductees who are still held captive by Hamas.
All this to the tune of the "Complete Victory" campaign, which this week already received the SMS version.
We will no longer win together, but only Netanyahu will bring victory.
After the operation in Rafah, Netanyahu's statement amounted to me and me.
Netanyahu met with the soldiers of the IMM/Government Press Office, Kobi Gideon
Meanwhile, as evidenced by the increasing reports from Washington of curses and insults, angry phone calls, and a sea of complaints from President Biden about Netanyahu's conduct - this maneuver does not really work, and even risks Israel heavy strategic damage.
The American sanctions on the extremist settlers who attacked Palestinians, which are also expanding to Europe, as well as the consultations held in Washington on the recognition of a Palestinian state, scream that the patience in the Oval Office is running out, in all sectors, from Rafah to Cairo to Lebanon and Judea and Samaria.
Along with the sticks, Biden is trying to wave the carrot of normalization with Saudi Arabia and manage to make history in the Middle East before the elections, but Netanyahu is mature, with his maneuvering and procrastination, he is texting and hardening positions, and is leading relations with him to another unprecedented crisis.
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Patience in the Oval Office is running out.
Netanyahu and Biden/Image manipulation, Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images, White House Facebook
It's just that despite the me and the me and the me, Netanyahu is not really leading, but being led, and his government is more like an unmanned aircraft operated by Ben Gabir and Smotrich who navigate the maneuver from the ground.
Right after the last elections, Netanyahu did a round of American interviews designed to calm the fears of the extreme right-wing and fundamentalist government he established, in which he promised, in the language of the ego of course: "I will govern and lead, and I will steer this government."
But the totality of the events of the past year indicate that this is a promise that he fails to keep, or did not intend to in the first place.
Netanyahu is led by Ben Gabir and Smotrich/Flash 90, Yonatan Zindel
From the legal revolution to copy budgets for the settlers and the ultra-Orthodox, from the dismantling of the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria to gambling with the Palestinian Authority's tax funds, from the manipulations in the security system to the irresponsible statements that entangled Israel in the Hague;
At almost every intersection where Netanyahu is required to govern and lead - or confront - his allies in the 64 coalition - their hand prevailed and decided the direction.
The establishment of the war cabinet with Gantz and Eisenkot allowed him to remove Ben Gvir and Smotrich from the room and dilute the power and influence of the extremists on the major fateful decisions about the war and the abductees, but he never abandoned or will abandon the principle that the 64th comes first.
Netanyahu promised the Americans to deliver flour to the Palestinians?
So promised.
As Barak Ravid revealed this week, Smotrich, who controls customs, has plans, and powers, of his own.
He also promised them an increase in humanitarian aid, then sent his party ministers to attack the transfer of trucks through Kerem Shalom, so that Ben Gavir could not scoop up all the angry right-wing sentiment.
The same is true of the negotiations for the release of the abductees - even before they matured, he dispatched his loyalists to set up red lines at the government meeting that would first flank the right of Ben Gabir, who threatens to dissolve the government if there is a "promiscuous" deal.
The decision of who will rule Gaza after the withdrawal of the IDF forces, he has been postponing and texting from discussion to discussion for four months, so as not to create a crisis with his partners and the right-wing base.
Netanyahu chose Ben Gabir even at the cost of violating the agreement with Gantz, in which it was agreed that all security appointments would be frozen, and he failed Convince him to back off from firing CBS Commissioner Katy Perry over their heads.
The agreement also stipulated that the war cabinet would meet every 48 hours, and now he is doing them a favor by informing them retrospectively of the developments.
The negotiations allow Netanyahu to leave the state camp hanging on by a thread of hope to return more abductees home, and to do what he does best - take more time to maintain and strengthen his coalition - while he paves the way out for Gantz.
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Benjamin Netanyahu
Bezalel Smotrich
War of Iron Swords
Gaza war