Israeli Newspaper: Netanyahu's attack on Biden is ungratefulness and a strategic failure

By Amos Gilad

The unprecedented attack by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the US President, Joe Biden, is one of the most ungrateful expressions and a strategic failure of the first degree. The United States is the only true ally of Israel, and Joe Biden is its absolute most important friend. Therefore, there is no strategic logic in the attack on him, and on the leader of the Democratic majority in the Senate, Senator Chuck Schumer, and one can only suspect that what is meant is a trivial internal policy rather than a strategy necessary for the security and future of the state.

During the long years of his rule, Netanyahu initiated more than one confrontation with an American president, and these mistakes cost us dearly. It is true that the Prime Minister revealed the Iranian threat well a quarter of a decade ago, and pledged to eliminate it, but since then, during at least the last 12 years, he has repeated the dangerous mistakes in his policy, which has left Israel in a state of weakness in the face of the Iranian threat. Today, Iran is a country on the threshold of nuclear weapons, and only by its decision can develop a nuclear weapon within a short time, which will very plausibly lead to the start of a nuclear race that will give all “terrorist” organizations a defensive umbrella, starting from Hezbollah in the north, all the way to the Houthis in Yemen. . The roots of this situation go back to the year 2011, after the revelation of Netanyahu’s initiative to launch a military attack on Iran without strategic coordination with the United States and its then president, Barack Obama. 

In addition, he insulted Obama for no reason; When he stood before Congress and delivered a speech against the nuclear agreement with Iran, without coordination with it, the result was that the United States signed the agreement with Iran behind Israel’s back, despite it being a bad agreement. But President Trump's cancellation of the agreement a few years later, with Netanyahu's encouragement, made the situation worse than we imagined. Iran was freed from the restrictions of the agreement and decided to move forward on the military nuclear path, reaching the current dangerous threshold.

On the accursed Saturday, October 7, the United States saved Israel, allowing the Israeli army to stand on its feet and deal strong blows to Hamas. But then came Netanyahu's statements regarding the strategy of absolute victory, which will lead to the failure of the Israeli army's achievements and harm them, because it ignores the alliance with the United States. 

The United States proposes to Israel a dream deal that includes a strategic axis that relies on the major Arab countries, led by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the countries of the Abraham Accords, and also integrates Israel into a regional military alliance under its leadership. In addition, the United States is proposing to Israel a plan for the reconstruction of Gaza, with generous funding from the Gulf states, as without reconstruction in Gaza, and without authentic Palestinian leadership, Israel could be drawn into a direct occupation of the Gaza Strip, which is suffering as a result of disasters and crises.

Moreover, if Israel wants to return thousands of residents of the northern settlements to their homes, it has two paths: Either a comprehensive confrontation with Hezbollah, the strategic price of which is very high, and the United States will not help us in it, or improved security arrangements based on Security Council Resolution No. 1701, allowing the removal of the Radwan force beyond the Litani. The achievements achieved by the Israeli army in southern Lebanon are very important, but without political action, there is no horizon for an end to the confrontations and for the Israeli population to return to their homes.

In addition, entering Rafah could damage special relations with the United States and Egypt, and despite its military importance, it is not possible without coordination with them. 

Egypt, as a pioneer of peace, can help establish very important relations in military and economic terms with leading arab countries. In return, the United States will continue to provide Israel with a security, economic, political, and legal steel dome, but if the insults continue, this dome may crack. The verse “The people of Israel can survive alone” is beautiful, but it is not appropriate for a small country like Israel, and it is unfortunate that there are those who do not understand that.

Netanyahu must make it the first priority to return the kidnapped people alive and well. Israel can transform the achievements of the Israeli army in Gaza and southern Lebanon into strategic profits that enhance the future of its national security, but adhering to the strategy of absolute victory and not coordinating with Washington will harm this. It is time to pursue a strategy that builds on our impressive military achievements.