The petition demands Netanyahu’s ouster from power, and will be published in the United States and directed first and foremost to the American political arena: “Netanyahu is not qualified, fundamentally and morally, to lead Israel into war, and he poses an imminent and existential danger to the state.”

A petition published today, Friday, and signed by 26 former Israeli security officials and 17 civilian officials, called for the ouster of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu due to the “failures of the current war” on Gaza, and accused him of having “his hands stained with the blood of the dead” Israelis who were killed in an attack. 7 last October.

The political analyst in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Nahum Barnea, published this petition and indicated that it would be published in the United States as well, at the end of this week.

Among the signatories of the petition were the former chiefs of staff of the Israeli army, Moshe Ya’alon and Dan Halutz, the former heads of the Mossad, Tamir Pardo and Danny Yatom, the former heads of the General Security Service (Shin Bet), Nadav Argaman and Yaakov Perry, and the former Inspector General of Police, Assaf Hefetz. It was also signed by three Israeli Nobel Prize winners.

Most of the petition signatories in the past expressed their opinions against Netanyahu before October 7, and some of them participated in the protests against the “judicial reform” plan initiated by the Netanyahu government with the aim of weakening the judiciary.

Barnea pointed out, “The issue is not the list of names of the signatories, but rather the timing: the protests that were brought into a deep stagnation on October 7 are seeking to return to the center of public discourse. The arguments have changed, but the goal has not changed.” The petition is addressed to the President of the State, Isaac Herzog, and the Speaker of the Knesset, Amir Ohana, “but it is directed first and foremost to the American political arena.” This petition was initiated by Jeremy Levin, the former general manager of the Israeli pharmaceutical company “Teva”, who holds dual American and Israeli citizenship.

To the saying that was repeated throughout the protests against the weakening of the judiciary, that Netanyahu seeks to destroy democracy, was added another saying, which is that he is guilty of the failure of October 7. “His hands are stained with the blood of the dead, and he is fundamentally and morally unqualified to lead Israel into war, and he poses an imminent and existential threat to the State of Israel,” the petition stated.

Barnea pointed out, “These are very strong statements, and they come at the height of a war and at the height of a battle in Congress and American public opinion over emergency aid to Israel. President Biden wants to give Israel $14 billion, and this is a huge amount, and Israel needs it more than any time in the past.” .

He added, "Members of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party are delaying ratification by claiming that American-made bombs are killing thousands of civilians in Gaza. Young voters are threatening to abstain from voting in the elections because of Biden's strong support for Israel."

He added that any American president did not fear that his support for Israel would cost him a price at the ballot box. "The opposite happened: in an election year, presidents feared entering into a confrontation with Israeli governments. The fear was of losing donations and losing Jewish voters in central states. Israel was a place of consensus. The situation is no longer like this now."

According to Barnea, “Netanyahu, the man and everything he represents, is at the heart of the debate. The hostility to him in domestic American discourse goes beyond the discussion of the war. Like Putin, he is considered a hero of one party, the Republican, and a burden in another party, the Democratic. Netanyahu’s stated refusal to trade "In Biden's plan to end the war, he is pushing administration officials to the conclusion that he cannot work with him. For them, they are not qualified. And in internal deliberations in the White House, they are now looking for a way to talk to the political establishment and public opinion in Israel over Netanyahu's head."

Barnea concluded, "The petition calling for Netanyahu's ouster warns of the damage he is causing to relations with the United States. The petition will find listening ears in the White House."