Washington Post commentator Ishaan Tharoor said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting the United States in light of the disaster looming over the Middle East.

He added that Netanyahu will address Congress, after months of trauma, the destruction he left behind, and an uncertain political future ahead of him.

He added that the last time Netanyahu came to Washington, hopes for peace, or at least one vision, were high, in September 2020. Netanyahu appeared in the White House, the home of Donald Trump. Through agreements brokered by the Trump administration, Israel has normalized its relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, two Gulf states that fear Iran.

The diplomatic achievement was given a great name: “The Abraham Accords,” and its promoters portrayed it as a civilizational breakthrough and the beginning of a new era, even though neither country was at war with Israel, or actually fought a war with it, and even established secret and essential relations with the Jewish state. .

Netanyahu, who was standing alongside Trump and senior officials from Bahrain and the Emirates, said: “This is a pivotal day in history,” and “marks the beginning of a new dawn for peace, and the Jews have prayed for peace for two thousand years, and for this reason we feel great gratitude today.”

These agreements led to profitable trade deals between Israel and the Gulf states, and were covered by arms deals from American arms companies to the Gulf states. However, with other Arab countries enthusiastic about the perspective of normalization with Israel, the new understandings did not lead to building peace in the place where it should be achieved. : The Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This happened on purpose. Thanks to Trump, Netanyahu, an opponent of a sovereign Palestinian state, saw a way to integrate Israel with its neighbors and put the “Palestinian problem” on the shelf.

The burgeoning group of Arab partners, who share Israel's fear of Iran and are frustrated by the dysfunction within the Palestinian national movement, were content to go along with the process desired by Netanyahu, who was forced out of power and returned to the head of Israel's most extreme coalition.

In September, he appeared on the platform of the United Nations General Assembly, with a map of the “New Middle East,” erasing any trace of the Palestinian state and the Palestinian people.

Then came the attacks of October 7, and the world changed. The war launched by Israel against Hamas shook the region, and the ongoing Israeli campaign destroyed the Gaza Strip, leading to the death of tens of thousands of people and a massive humanitarian catastrophe. International legal cases are increasing against Israel and its extremist government, and the International Criminal Court may issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant, within days, on charges of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and using starvation as a weapon of war.

The International Court of Justice is discussing a case accusing Israel of genocide, and on Friday, it issued a separate ruling in which it called on Israel to stop its occupation of the Palestinian territories and dismantle the settlements.

This ruling is considered rejected by Netanyahu, under whose rule settlement expansion flourished. He comes to Washington to deliver a controversial speech, at a time when a neighboring Arab country, with President Joe Biden and his allies, is trying to broker a truce to stop the war in Gaza, which the Palestinians and most of the international community want, and the release of Israeli prisoners held by Hamas.

The writer said that American and Arab officials blame Netanyahu for deliberately thwarting the agreement, fearing that his political position would be affected if the fighting stopped.

Michael Koplow, from the Israeli Policy Forum, said: “Netanyahu is under pressure from all arenas. He has an alliance that he is dissatisfied with, and [extremist] partners, such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, who threaten to break up the alliance if he agrees to a ceasefire,” and “he has Families of prisoners are demonstrating in the streets in large numbers, for a ceasefire, and the security establishment strongly favors the ceasefire deal and the return of the prisoners. Biden is pushing strongly, and without reservation, for a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange, and Israel’s partners in the region have wanted to stop the fighting for several months.”

Tharoor says that Netanyahu's visit to Washington is a gamble in order to relieve this pressure.

Former negotiator Aaron David Miller, now a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, said Netanyahu’s real goal was “to preserve himself, and he succeeded,” and “he came to use Congress and the White House as tools and show that he is an indispensable man.” Miller suggested that Netanyahu “ "He's trying to buy time."

Republicans who are ready to stab Biden, who is under siege, will support Netanyahu and his defiant stance in the war.

Financial Times correspondent Neri Ziebler wrote: “What Netanyahu most likely wants is to reach the end of the month and the beginning of the recess for the Knesset,” as the recess extends until October, during which it is not possible to get rid of a government. If Netanyahu is able to stay, the closest elections will be in the first quarter of 2025. By this time, there will be a new resident in the White House, and Netanyahu hopes that it will be Trump, who strengthened his chances in the first term.

However, the Republican candidate has not shown any interest in Netanyahu in recent months, as Trump is still angry with the Israeli Prime Minister, and accuses him of treason because he congratulated Biden on his victory in 2020. Also, the Abraham Accords, which Trump considered at the time as a sign of his foreign policy, did not It is important at the moment.

Biden is facing a rebellion from the left in his party because of his support for Israel and its war in Gaza, and Washington’s assistance to it through weapons and diplomatic support.

Biden looked for support from some Israelis and Arab neighbors to implement the “Day After” plan in Gaza, which includes a technocratic government running Gaza and the West Bank, funding from the Gulf states for the reconstruction of the Strip, and the resumption of negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis regarding a two-state solution.

As long as the war continues, Netanyahu remains in power, and the American vision of peace is doomed to failure. Last Friday, members of the Knesset voted on a resolution to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, a symbolic move that confirmed Netanyahu’s position before his trip to America.

An Arab official told the writer: “As long as Netanyahu remains there, there is no chance of any movement on the next day’s plan.”

In conclusion, there is no “pivotal shift in history,” and this is what Netanyahu wants.