Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters purported to classify him as a kind of modern Winston Churchill, but history has already forever established him as the Israeli Neville Chamberlain. Whoever like the British prime minister of the Munich Agreement, deceived himself and the nation, surrendered and brought us this far. Netanyahu is not on the podium alone, along with him is the top echelon of the center-left camp, alongside the bulk of Israel's security leadership over the past generation.
But now Netanyahu has been given a task that even the original Chamberlain did not have to deal with – to get us out of the hole that he and his partners have mined for us. Chamberlain himself resigned and gave way in May 1940 at the start of the Battle of Britain, but the British had Churchill to lead the epic task they faced. Only we don't even have Churchill dust in the entire political system, while all members of the War Cabinet share the same concept and spirit that caused the catastrophe.
The Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff assessing the situation // Photo: GPO
Neville Chamberlain in 1940, photo: AP
The only consolation is that the spirit of the people is strong and determined. A clear sign of the Chamberlains concerns the shuffling over the ground campaign, which is already accompanied by a kind of campaign aimed at eroding the obvious conclusion about uprooting Hamas. This is how we got the prominence of Maj. Gen. Brick's position, this is how Netanyahu initiated President Biden's visit, this is how we responded to the trickle of enemy blackmail deals. Thus is the quasi-leak of the most scandalous member of the war cabinet, Aryeh Deri, about the non-existence of plans to topple Hamas.
There is no doubt that because of the extreme unpreparedness of the system, it took about two weeks to organize: to prepare new attack plans, to transfer a group of orders, to train and equip the units that had been cut and modified for years, out of a concept. And yes, the extensive destruction wrought by the Air Force so far is important. But, from now on, every day that passes works against us. It crushes international legitimacy, imposes an enormous burden on society and the economy. With so many displaced people and conscripts, it erodes the public's determination to go all the way.
Soldiers and tanks near the Gaza Strip, photo: AP
There is no doubt that the battle against the tunnels will not be simple, but we have a tremendous advantage – in military strength, resources, as well as in the fighting spirit and the quality of the fighters. History is full of examples of more difficult challenges that have been solved as a result of initiative and fighting. Churchill had no ready answers to the German blitzkrieg, the IDF at the beginning of the War of Independence had no plans and means to deal with the Arab invasion. In general, the warnings are reminiscent of the horror campaign on the eve of Operation Defensive Shield in 2002, when we were warned about the traps inside the refugee camps. Not to mention the opposition to crossing the canal in 1973.
Within days we will know whether the current leadership can begin to deal with the dramatic situation if it gives the order to move. If not, senior coalition officials will be required to take the exclusive reins from Benjamin Netanyahu. To establish a war team, perhaps including Galant, Dichter, Edelstein, Kish and Barkat, to add people who saw reality as present, such as Avigdor Lieberman and Gideon Sa'ar, and perhaps also reinforcements outside the Knesset. All in order to lead in a Churchillian spirit, without hesitation and impotence like Chamberlain & Co.
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