The Washington Post highlighted the strategic dilemma facing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with writer Max Boot arguing that Netanyahu's attempts to shape the Middle East according to his own vision have begun to backfire on Israel's security and international standing. The article noted that Netanyahu's continuous wars have caused increasing alienation within American circles, threatening the existential alliance between Washington and Tel Aviv.
The writer recalled the warnings of the state's founder, David Ben-Gurion, in 1951, who emphasized that security is not achieved by the army alone but by a foreign policy that seeks peace with neighbors. Boot believes that Netanyahu, who was relatively cautious in the past through a 'mowing the lawn' strategy, abandoned this approach after the events of October 7, drifting towards an illusory pursuit of 'absolute security' and complete revenge.
The extensive military operations in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon, extending to confrontations with Iran and Yemen, have transformed Israel into an internationally ostracized state in the eyes of many. Instead of achieving deterrence, analysts believe that these wars have exhausted the Israeli army and made it unprecedentedly dependent on direct American protection for its survival.
Reports revealed that the US military consumed massive quantities of advanced ammunition to defend Israel during recent confrontations with Iran, quantities exceeding what Israeli forces themselves spent. Sources quoted US administration officials as saying that Israel is no longer capable of fighting and winning major wars on its own, despite attempts to obscure this fact behind the scenes.
Domestically in the US, Israel's popularity is experiencing a sharp and unprecedented decline, with opinion polls showing that Americans now sympathize more with Palestinians than with Israelis. According to the Pew Research Center, 60% of Americans hold a negative view of Israel, a significant increase compared to previous years, driven by reports of massive civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu's government, by including extremist elements like Itamar Ben-Gvir, appears to deliberately provoke the international community through practices described as despicable even by its closest allies. Despite Netanyahu's public criticism of some of his ministers' actions towards international activists, their continued presence in their positions reinforces the global impression that the Israeli government adopts a confrontational approach to humanitarian values.
Regarding the Lebanese front, Boot believes that Israel found itself embroiled in a long-term occupation of southern Lebanon, making its soldiers easy targets for Hezbollah's drones. Despite qualitative intelligence operations, the military threat remains, and excessive force has not succeeded in definitively securing the northern border as the government promised.
On the Iranian front, intelligence reports indicated that the Iranian army is recovering from the effects of airstrikes much faster than expected. This failure to achieve long-term strategic goals weakens Netanyahu's claims of achieving 'historic victories' and confirms that military force alone cannot change regimes or eliminate nuclear threats.
The Israeli army faces a severe internal attrition crisis, with Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warning that the military establishment is 'collapsing on itself' due to continuous fighting for over a year. These warnings, described as 'red flags,' reflect the immense pressure on soldiers and reservists amid multiple active fronts without a clear political horizon.
The article indicates that Netanyahu has lost control over the course of events and has become subject to the dictates of the new US administration, specifically Donald Trump, who began marginalizing him in peace negotiations. Forcing Israel to accept a ceasefire in Lebanon reflects Netanyahu's declining ability to maneuver politically under pressure from Washington.
Israel's reliance on the United States now violates the old Zionist slogan of 'self-reliance,' placing the state in a position of strategic weakness. Without continuous American logistical and military support, Israel would find itself unable to continue large-scale confrontations on several fronts simultaneously.
In the Gaza Strip, despite the massive destruction and occupation of large areas, Hamas still retains its ability to maintain civilian control and direct the population, thus failing the declared war objectives. This reality confirms that technological military superiority does not necessarily translate into political victory or on-the-ground security stability, especially in the face of ongoing resistance.
The writer concludes his analysis by emphasizing that Israel, as a small country with 10 million inhabitants, cannot logically dominate a region with half a billion people. Continuing to pursue this 'illusory goal' will only drain Israel's national resources and undermine the security that Netanyahu claims to protect, putting the state's future at grave risk.
The shift in global public opinion, especially in the United States, represents the greatest long-term threat to Israel, as the Israeli narrative is no longer the only dominant one. With increasing awareness of Palestinian suffering, Israel finds itself in a race against time to repair its international relations, which have been severely damaged by the current government's extremist policies.
A country with a population of approximately 10 million, no matter how powerful, cannot dominate a region with a population exceeding 500 million.
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Washington Post: Netanyahu's Illusions of Regional Hegemony Drain Israel and Deepen Its International Isolation