Prominent Israeli historian and thinker Yuval Noah Harari asserts that Israel has failed to translate its military gains in a war whose fronts are still open into diplomatic achievements, stressing that it is experiencing its most dangerous crisis since its establishment in 1948.
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In an extensive article in the Yediot Aharonot newspaper supplement published today, Friday, Harari asserts that many Israelis are lions and lionesses led by a group of donkeys, in reference to Netanyahu and his government.
The Israeli historian argues that Netanyahu's current government has been the most difficult in Israel's history since its founding, noting that it is not necessarily solely to blame. He points out that governments often have to contend with natural disasters, economic crises, and bloody wars that have reached their doorsteps, wars they did not initiate. He also states that the prime minister is not responsible for every wrong decision made by a military commander or a ministry director-general.
Harari asserts that many Israelis are lions and lionesses led by a pack of donkeys, referring to Netanyahu and his government.
However, Harari believes that the current occupation government, headed by Netanyahu, is responsible for one thing for sure: setting the state's priorities. This is its most important function; the head decides, and the institutions implement.
He goes on to describe the occupation government: “In the two months leading up to October 7, 2023, Netanyahu dictated a destructive set of priorities to Israel. He needed to identify the most important issues to focus on: the high cost of living, the housing crisis, the Iranian threat, Hezbollah, and Hamas. But Netanyahu decided to focus on the judicial system as if former Supreme Court President Esther Hayut and her colleagues were the greatest threat to Israel.”
Within six days of this government taking office on January 4, 2023, the Minister of Justice revealed a central plan of Netanyahu's sixth government: to "castrate" the Supreme Court, weaken the judicial system, and change the way the government is run. The decision to fight the judicial system instead of confronting Hezbollah, Hamas, or Iran was a recipe for disaster, and it all bears Netanyahu's name.
Clear and immediate danger
Harari, who left Israel and has been living abroad for two years, says that security establishment leaders warned Netanyahu during the nine months preceding October 7th that he was imposing a misguided set of priorities on the country, and that this priority was overshadowed by an existential security threat. He goes on to describe the failure: “It’s true that the security establishment leaders didn’t know the precise details of the October 7th attack, but they were well aware that Israel was surrounded by a ring of fire from the most dangerous enemies, who were preparing to act. The Mossad, the Shin Bet, and Military Intelligence (Aman) told Netanyahu time and again that he had to stop the madness of the judicial coup that was tearing the country apart from within, in order to focus on the external threats, but Netanyahu refused to listen to them.”
Harari recalls Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s public warning in March 2023 of serious threats, his call to halt controversial judicial legislation, and his dismissal by Netanyahu, which brought hundreds of thousands of Israelis into the streets and forced Netanyahu to reinstate Gallant, but he continued to ignore the security establishment’s warnings.
This was not the only time that the heads of the security establishment tugged at the prime minister's coat, shouting one after another: Beware, you are leading Israel to the abyss. Between March and July 2023, Netanyahu received four memos from military intelligence warning of the possibility of war breaking out, and dozens of graduates of the security establishment joined in and signed a public petition in July 2023 in which they told Netanyahu: “We, the graduates of Israel’s wars, feel the atmosphere that prevailed on the eve of the 1973 war, and therefore we are raising a red flag before you and your government.”
Harari recalls that former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar sent Netanyahu a warning that war was imminent that same month, on the eve of the passage of the so-called "law to reduce the discretion of Supreme Court justices." He adds, "On the very day the law curtailing the Supreme Court justices' authority was passed, Israeli military leaders arrived at the Knesset and requested a meeting with Netanyahu to deliver their warnings in person, but he refused to see them."
He also recalls that former National Security Advisor, Reserve General Giora Eiland, held several meetings with military intelligence, after which he warned Netanyahu of an existential threat to the state, but he ignored the warning again, noting Haaretz’s investigation into Mohammed bin Zayed informing Netanyahu of Hamas’s plan to carry out the Al-Aqsa flood ten days before October 7, and he continues: “But Netanyahu did not care and did not change the order of priorities, and he did not even inform the security establishment of the UAE’s warning.”
Between January and October 2023, Netanyahu ignored all warnings and dictated to Israel a hierarchy of priorities according to which the greatest threat was not Hamas, Hezbollah, or Iran, but the Supreme Court justices.
Harari explains that between January and October 2023, Netanyahu ignored all warnings and dictated to Israel a scale of priorities according to which the greatest threat was not Hamas, Hezbollah, or Iran, but the Supreme Court judges. He stressed that the ongoing madness during those months gave birth to the greatest catastrophe in Israel’s history: the killing of a thousand Israelis, the kidnapping of hundreds, and the rapid evacuation of many areas of the country. Even in the 1948 and 1973 wars, fewer settlements were evacuated compared to the 2023 war.
After October 7th, entire cities like Kiryat Shmona in the Galilee and Sderot in the Negev, along with numerous settlements in the western Negev and Upper Galilee, were abandoned, turning a quarter of a million Israelis into refugees in their own land. The primary culprit in all of this is Netanyahu, who set a distorted set of priorities and turned a deaf ear for months, ignoring all warnings.Absolute Victory: The Experiences of Hannibal and Napoleon
Against this backdrop, Harari asserts that the flawed prioritization established before October 7th constituted the first major failure. The second, no less serious, is the management of the war thus far and the failure to achieve political gains despite military successes. The army's duty is to fight, while the government's duty is to translate its successes into political gains. Victory in war is not determined by who kills the most enemy soldiers, destroys the most buildings, or occupies the largest territory, but rather by who achieves lasting political gains.
He adds: “Without these political gains, one can win battle after battle and still lose the war. This is what happened, for example, to Hannibal and Napoleon.”
He recalls the Israeli security establishment's gains in the war: the Pager operation on September 17, 2014, the assassination of Hezbollah's leadership in Operation New Order, and the devastating blow dealt to Iran in Operation Lion's People. These successes demonstrate that the Israeli public is full of lionesses and lions who do everything in their power to defend the state, supported by an army and intelligence services that are among the best in the world. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of our government.
He says that after three years, Netanyahu's government has failed to translate military gains into diplomatic achievements on all fronts, from Iran to Lebanon. He continues sarcastically: "But I forgot one gain, which is Somaliland's recognition of Israel. Meanwhile, Hamas is still in Gaza, Hezbollah is in Lebanon, Turkey is advancing in Syria, and Iran is maintaining its nuclear capabilities and controlling the Strait of Hormuz, while Israel is suffering from increasing international isolation, an isolation that is not inevitable or a product of anti-Semitism, but rather one that Israel has created itself, after having enjoyed widespread popularity in the world. This is reminiscent of the large number of leaders who visited Israel in the aftermath of October 7th to show solidarity with it."He adds: “Netanyahu’s government has succeeded in making the world disgusted with us, even our closest allies. Because of the government’s policies, we have lost bipartisan friendship in the United States. No matter who wins the next US election, Israel will face a major problem, as many Democrats see it as racist and criminal, while a growing number of Republicans embrace the anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that accuses Israel of dragging the United States into an unnecessary war in Iran.”
Without mentioning the war of extermination and Israeli crimes against humanity, Harari concludes by saying: “Since 2023, the Israelis have been fighting like lionesses and lions, but these lions are being led by donkeys. Netanyahu’s government has brought the greatest catastrophe in Israel’s history and is leading it to ruin. The situation is very serious.”
He adds, content with criticizing Israeli war crimes with a subtle and hidden hint in his last words: “But the door is still open for reform. On October 27th, there is an opportunity for the lions, an opportunity to get rid of the donkeys. We should seize this opportunity, as it may be the last. Perhaps we will finally win a little peace and the lions will be able to return to being human.”
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