Former Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ehud Barak asserts that the Israeli-American war on Iran and Hezbollah has failed and will continue to fail because there is no plan, and because it relies solely on force.
In response to the question, "How would you summarize the war so far?" Barak said in an interview with the official Hebrew radio station on Sunday: "We all pray that the regime in Iran will fall, that the 420 kilograms of enriched uranium will be found, that the nuclear and missile programs will be destroyed, and that the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened. The problem is that we are basing our actions on wishful thinking. Fascist and authoritarian regimes are not brought down by bombs dropped from the outside, nor by calling on the people to revolt against them. This leads to the opposite result, which is the delegitimization of the revolution. In Iran, several mistakes have been made that prevent the achievement of the war's objectives, including indulging in illusions, narrow-minded thinking, and the foolish reliance on the Kurds."
Barak was also asked about his opinion on what former National Security Advisor, Reserve General Giora Eiland, had said two days earlier, that the United States and Israel were in a predicament or a mess. He said: “Yes, there are successes and painful blows in Iran, but the regime is holding firm, and I am not sure there is a plan to remove the uranium or to open Hormuz. It is easy to take control of Kharg Island by land occupation, but it can be done from the air.”
Regarding the US president's threat to unleash hell on Iran if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz before his warning expires, Barak stressed that attacking infrastructure facilities inside Iran is extremely dangerous.
Regarding the US president's threat to unleash hell on Iran if it does not open the Strait of Hormuz before his warning expires, Barak emphasized that attacking infrastructure facilities inside Iran is extremely dangerous. He explained that Israel would not be harmed by Iranian retaliation, but the Gulf states would suffer serious blows. Iran would carry out its threats to target water, electricity, and energy facilities throughout the Gulf, and targeting them is more dangerous than targeting Israel because the Gulf is closer to Iranian targets, allowing for more precise strikes.
Barak believes that the United States and Israel have achieved nothing in Iran despite the passage of 35 days of war, and he considers talk of triumphant victories over the axis of resistance to be false. He adds, warningly: “Without strategic thinking and without honesty, victory is impossible, and continuing military attacks is not enough.”
Between Sparta and Athens
When asked about a way out of the war, and whether he recommended a unilateral withdrawal as he did when he withdrew from Lebanon in 2000, Barak continued to criticize the management of the war on the Iranian and Lebanese fronts: “The security belts in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon are useless; in fact, it’s all nonsense. Forward military defense is correct and important, but only on the condition that the military effort is accompanied by political action, and this is lacking on all fronts. We missed an opportunity for dialogue with Lebanon with the help of Saudi Arabia and France, and even with Syria, we have a lost opportunity for political negotiations, as the regime is hostile to Hezbollah. Netanyahu is thwarting all agreements and political projects on all fronts.”
Barak affirms the army's assessment that dismantling Hezbollah is not a war objective and is unfeasible, noting that without a political foundation, the war cannot be ended, and without occupying all of Lebanon, Hezbollah cannot be dismantled. He then recalls the war in Gaza: "With Hamas, too, we should have reached an agreement long ago through American mediation, and with Iran, failure seems absolute. There are several diplomatic proposals that should be considered instead of changing objectives every week."
Barak concludes by saying what he believes to be true for all wars and fronts: “Netanyahu is making Israel a new Sparta, but it cannot impose a political system or manage the Middle East as it pleases. Secondly, we need to be Athens as well, and this does not exist. Therefore, Israelis must overthrow Netanyahu and his regime before the end of the war.”
Ben-Ghafir: We must continue the war, and patience is beneficial.
For his part, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir told the same radio station Sunday morning that he rejects the army's position and that he heard something different from Netanyahu and Katz the previous day. He continued: "We must strive for total victory, even if it takes longer and requires more patience. There is no alternative to achieving this goal with Hezbollah and Hamas... and that's what I'm hearing from Katz as well."
How do we do that?
“With fire, with security belts, and by assassinating every single one of them. The people understand that there is a need for patience.”
Ben-Gvir: Trump understands that he must accomplish what is required so that we don't return to war in a few months, and for the sake of generations in the region and the world. I refused a ceasefire with Hamas and Hezbollah last year, and today I refuse to stop the war on Iran and Lebanon.
After thirty hours the warning period ends, so how will the war end?
“Trump understands that he must accomplish what is required so that we do not return to war in a few months, and for the sake of generations in the region and the world. I refused a ceasefire with Hamas and Hezbollah last year, and today I refuse to stop the war on Iran and Lebanon . The enemy must be defeated by force and the threats must be destroyed on all fronts. We did not succeed in this in Gaza because the government is not composed solely of the ‘Jewish Power’ party.”
This view is echoed by Eitan Davidi, head of the local council in the settlement of Margaliot on the border with Lebanon, who considered the army's position a slap in the face to all residents of northern Israel. Echoing Ben-Gvir, Davidi said that following these statements and leaks from the army, Katz informed him that Israel is determined to dismantle Hezbollah's weapons.
Davidi, like other Israeli local government leaders in the Galilee, also called for escalation: “We must target infrastructure in Lebanon in order to subdue Hezbollah.”
In contrast, a large number of commentators and observers in Israel today are directing direct and sharp criticism at the arrogant language, the reliance on force alone, the empty promises, and the lies that are being revealed in light of the continued heavy fire from Hezbollah and Iran, following official statements about their destruction.
