Israeli Newspaper: Netanyahu must go now, even in wartime

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is primarily responsible for the widespread security and political failure that led to the October 7 “massacre” and the outbreak of war. The thousands who demonstrated at the end of every Saturday in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Caesarea, and who demanded his resignation from his position as prime minister, prove that the conditions are ripe for the resumption of protest and the expansion of its ranks.

There is nothing more valid than protesting against Netanyahu, now, and in times of war. There is nothing more right than calling for his removal, now, and in times of war. The shock that the country experienced at Simhat HaTorah, which marked a turning point in the history of the State of Israel, is the reason for curbing the protest against Netanyahu.

It is no coincidence that Netanyahu refuses to bear responsibility for the disaster that befell the State of Israel. His rejection represents the essence of his character. It is proven by his behavior that he tries to take advantage of the wartime in order to prepare politically for the “next day” in order to consolidate the narrative that holds the army, intelligence, and Shin Bet responsible for their negligence, and that the only theory that collapsed is the Oslo theory, and that the accused are Yitzhak Rabin and those who followed in his path, and the protest against him, of course.

All this without saying a single word about the judicial coup that he pushed forward, in the service of the Kahanist extreme right, which thirsts for Jewish annexation and supremacy, and which Netanyahu himself encouraged in an unprecedented way.

On October 7, the “protector of Israel” turned out to be a scarecrow. Everything Netanyahu said turned out to be just bragging. Not only did he succeed in ignoring the Palestinian conflict, but the State of Israel appeared naked during his long years of rule, which were longer than any other prime minister, even the Ben-Gurion governments. It is not surprising that there were those who described the situation on October 7 in the cover settlements as a vacuum: there was no state, no army, and no one came.

The state did not exist because Netanyahu eliminated it. For years, he convinced everyone that he was the homeland, and put himself before its interests and the interests of the public and the future, and when the time came, the truth became clear: there is nothing.

Two and a half months after the start of the war, it is clear to everyone that Israeli citizens do not have the luxury of surrendering to the shock that has befallen them and allowing Netanyahu to continue his rule. Because the one who destroyed cannot be the one who will repair. It is time to demand that the person who caused this catastrophe to the State of Israel vacate his position and allow others to repair what he destroyed.