Dr. Omar Rahhal: Netanyahu seeks to enter history alongside the “founding fathers” and continues his aggression as if he has an international green light

Nihad Abu Ghosh: Netanyahu invokes biblical texts to justify his aggressive policies and strengthen the cohesion of his ruling right-wing coalition

Dr. Amjad Abu Al-Ezz: The region may head towards greater escalation as Hezbollah attempts to absorb the blow and reorganize its ranks

Nizar Nazzal: Netanyahu is implementing the expansionist ideas contained in his book “A Place Among the Nations” through the military machine and is seeking escalation

Sari Samour: The racist and functional nature of Israel requires complete control over the region to achieve the dream of “Greater Israel”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pursuing his aggressive policies, obsessed with the arrogance of power and dreams of expansion in order to establish what he calls the “New Middle East,” exploiting the surplus power that the colonial Western countries have placed at his disposal, the absolute American support, and the Arab silence, which guarantees him the appointment of himself as one of the kings of “Greater Israel,” and an advanced position in history alongside the founding fathers.

Writers and political analysts said, in separate interviews with “Y,” that Netanyahu’s greater goal is to strengthen Israel’s regional hegemony and redraw the map of the region to serve his political and religious ambitions.

According to the book and analysts, Netanyahu bases his policies on a mixture of political and religious ideologies, invoking biblical texts to justify his aggressive policies and mobilize Israeli public opinion, which strengthens the cohesion of his ruling right-wing coalition.

They pointed out that Netanyahu seeks to achieve personal electoral gains by exploiting religious discourse, which presents the current conflict as a religious war that calls for victory, while he continues to launch military operations without any international accountability or actual response from the international community, and the clear inability of Arab and Islamic countries to take a firm stance against Israeli policies.

Netanyahu may launch military strikes on Iran

Dr. Omar Rahhal, director of the Shams Center for Human Rights, writer and political analyst, said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is exploiting the current situation, with strong American support, a complicit Western position, and Arab and Islamic impotence, to continue his military aggression.

Rahhal pointed out that Netanyahu may launch military strikes against Iran at a time when he is launching ongoing military strikes against Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, in addition to continuing his aggression against the Palestinian people.

In the absence of any restraints on Netanyahu, Rahal warned that what he is doing constitutes a threat to international peace and security, stressing that the United States and other Western countries directly support him, while Arab and Islamic countries stand unable to take a decisive stance against him.

Rahhal explained that Netanyahu is acting on the assumption that he has unconditional support and an international green light to lead wars on behalf of these forces, noting that Netanyahu's ultimate goal is to engineer the region in a manner consistent with Israel's vision and interests, and to make it the dominant power in the region.

Rahhal pointed out that Netanyahu seeks to immortalize his name in history as one of the leaders of Israel, and to be in the position of those called the "founding fathers" of the occupying state, just as the first founders of the Israeli state did.

Religious political discourse to justify aggression

Rahhal stressed that Netanyahu's speech is based on a political ideology based on religious teachings derived from distorted biblical texts and on the principles of the Zionist movement. Netanyahu relies on these ideologies to justify his aggressive policies, stating that this is the "land of the fathers," referring to the occupied land. He uses these religious speeches to send a message to the religious parties and the settlers that he adopts the same religious doctrine that they believe in.

Rahhal pointed out that Netanyahu's use of religious discourse serves several purposes, including achieving personal electoral gains, mobilizing popular support around him, and confronting his political opponents.

Rahhal stressed that Netanyahu is using this discourse to mobilize Israeli public opinion, as he portrays the current conflict as a “religious war” that must be won.

He stressed the need for a firm Arab and Islamic stance to confront Netanyahu's ambitions and curb his aggressive policies, warning that there is a Zionist colonial project that seeks to subject the Arab world to Israeli control, as part of the idea of the "Greater Kingdom of Israel" that extends from the Nile in the south to the Euphrates in the north, based on Jewish myths.

"Netanyahu's escape from any international punishment may enable him to implement these colonial plans on the ground," Rahhal said.

Israel is in a state of euphoria and arrogance

For his part, writer, political analyst and specialist in Israeli affairs, Nihad Abu Ghosh, said: Israel is living in a state of euphoria and arrogance as a result of its recent field successes, driven by the absolute American support since the beginning of the aggression on Gaza.

Abu Ghosh pointed out that Israel was able to carry out bombing, killing and destruction operations without any international accountability or any significant reaction from the international community, which encouraged it to continue its crimes.

Abu Ghosh wondered whether Israel was really able to achieve its long-term goals, explaining that what Israel was achieving were limited tactical successes, but it had not yet reached the point of achieving long-term strategic successes.

Abu Ghosh believes that the region is heading towards greater escalation, especially with the expectation of Hezbollah’s response to the Israeli strikes and the escalation of the situation in Yemen, Iraq and Syria.

Abu Ghosh pointed out that Israel seeks to subject the entire region to its control, and may be looking to annex more Arab lands, especially in Lebanon.

Western and American collusion with Israel

Abu Ghosh pointed out that there is a kind of Western and American collusion, as there is full support and international silence towards what Israel is doing, while the Arab world is witnessing a clear inability to take any firm stance, which has allowed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue implementing his aggressive policies.

Abu Ghosh said that invoking biblical texts to justify Israeli policies is an attempt by Netanyahu to strengthen the cohesion of his ruling right-wing coalition and the cohesion of the Israeli public, as these texts reinforce the feeling of arrogance and racial superiority, noting that these ideologies reflect the orientations of fascist forces, and that there is no religion that supports crimes and murder.

Turning the area into an American-Israeli protectorate

Abu Ghosh explained that the Israeli plan is based on strengthening Israel's expansionist hegemony and turning the region into something resembling an American-Israeli protectorate, which is something that conflicts with the interests of the Arab peoples and requires a comprehensive Arab renaissance to confront these ambitions.

Abu Ghosh explained that the current state of the Arab world, whether at the level of official regimes or popular movements, is witnessing a noticeable decline in light of what is happening, which increases the responsibilities of Arab leaders and peoples towards confronting the Israeli brutality that began in Palestine and Lebanon and may extend to other areas in the region.

Abu Ghosh pointed out that Israeli ambitions are not just fears but an existing reality, and will find great support from figures such as former US President Donald Trump, who made statements in line with these ambitions, which increases concerns about the future of the region.

Netanyahu is out of control

Dr. Amjad Abu Al-Ezz, professor of international relations at the Arab American University, writer and political analyst, believes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has become out of control, driven by ideological ideas based on biblical texts, and he is trying to implement a strategy that combines political and religious discourse.

Abu Al-Ezz pointed out that Netanyahu is exploiting clear American statements indicating that the United States does not want war, but will support and defend Israel if it breaks out. These American statements are considered a safety net for Netanyahu, which encouraged him to open multiple fronts in Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, in addition to the Gaza front, realizing that US President Joe Biden and the Zionist lobbies, as well as various American institutions, especially security ones, will not abandon him.

Abu Abu Al-Ezz explained that the region may be heading towards a greater escalation, especially with Hezbollah trying to absorb the blow it recently received, heal its wounds, reorganize its ranks and create a new leadership after the assassination of previous leaders.

According to Abu Al-Ezz, if Iran is not drawn into the war directly, things will return to how they were with mutual shelling that could intensify or decrease, but it will intensify in the coming period.

Failure to respond will expose them to more severe blows.

Abu Al-Ezz expected that the axis of resistance, headed by Hezbollah, is facing a test in that it will not be able to avoid responding to the Israeli strikes, as not responding will expose them to more severe strikes in the future.

Regarding Iran, Abu Al-Ezz said: Iran does not want to be dragged into this war directly, as it takes its regional interests into consideration, especially in light of fears that its nuclear program will be the target.

However, Abu Al-Ezz believes that Iran still supports Hezbollah and is working to enhance its capabilities to respond, noting that Iran’s statements were provocative when it said, “If the international community does not respond, we will respond,” which practically means that it does not want to respond, but is asking the international community to respond, knowing that it will not respond and is not interested in repelling Netanyahu.

Abu Al-Ezz pointed out that Iran has special calculations, as the new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has taken over the reins of power, and during the election campaign, he was clear that he wants to get Iran out of isolation and improve Iran’s foreign relations with the West, and he appointed a veteran diplomat, Mohammad Javad Zarif, as Vice President for Strategic Affairs in Iran, and this is an indication of what the new president wants.

America and Israel are rushing Iran into the war

Abu Al-Ezz pointed out that the United States of America and Israel are waiting for Iran to enter this war, and therefore the United States of America will deal with Iran, and Israel will deal with Syria, Hezbollah, and the rest of the axis of resistance.

Abu Al-Ezz believes that there is an American-Israeli agreement that seeks to reshape the region in a way that suits their strategic interests.

As for regional alliances to put an end to Netanyahu’s policies, Abu Al-Ezz pointed out that there is an international alliance forming to confront Netanyahu’s policies in the region, including Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and the European Union, especially in light of the rejection of the policies of Netanyahu’s government, which he leads with his coalition, such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, who strongly oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Although he believes that the alliance will expand during the next phase with the escalation of the war on Lebanon, Abu Al-Ezz expresses his doubts about the ability of this alliance to achieve tangible change in light of the weakness of the Biden administration and the conflict between the interests of this alliance and American interests in the region.

Netanyahu seeks to regain lands from which Israel withdrew

Nizar Nazzal, a researcher specializing in Israeli affairs and conflict issues, considered the current Israeli government a “war government,” and that its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to achieve old goals that he has long aspired to, including regaining lands that Israel withdrew from in the past, such as the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and returning to southern Lebanon.

Nazzal stressed that Netanyahu seeks to crush the resistance movements in the region and destroy the Iranian project, pointing out that attracting Gideon Sa'ar to the government comes within this framework, as Sa'ar believes in the "Israel from the river to the sea" project.

Nazzal pointed out that the current Israeli government is entirely composed of right-wing religious people, and that Netanyahu is planning to escalate military operations in the coming period, stressing that Netanyahu has his sights set on occupying southern Lebanon and returning the settlers to the northern settlements, in addition to destroying Hezbollah and heading towards Syria, Sinai and many Arab countries.

Nazzal expected that Hezbollah would respond forcefully to the Israeli strikes it received and was able to absorb, which could lead to the outbreak of war in Lebanon on a large scale.

Changing the face of the Middle East completely

He expressed his belief that Netanyahu seeks to change the face of the Middle East completely, as his speech on October 8th clearly expressed the religious Zionist aspirations, which aim to redraw the map of the region in a way that serves Israeli interests.

Nazzal stressed that Netanyahu is moving from a solid base derived from the support of the Israeli street and the fragmentation of the internal opposition, in addition to controlling the Knesset. He also relies heavily on absolute American support, which makes him indifferent to international criticism.

He pointed out that Netanyahu's continued success depends on two main factors: the clear Arab inability to confront Israeli expansion, and unlimited Western support.

Nazzal pointed out that Netanyahu succeeded in creating a new culture within Israel that pushes towards religious Zionism, as he is now working to implement the ideas contained in his book “A Place Among the Nations” published in 1996, through the Israeli military machine that seeks to implement Israeli expansionist ambitions.

Secular Zionism and Netanyahu's Religious Tendencies

Nazzal pointed out that the Zionist movement, which began as a secular movement, has today produced a religious trend led by Netanyahu, which seeks to achieve expansionist ambitions of a religious nature.

"The joining of Gideon Sa'ar, who has an expansionist religious mentality that aspires to control from the Nile to the Euphrates, reinforces this trend within the Israeli government," Nazzal said.

He stressed that Israel is planning to control the Middle East, either by occupying the land or by changing the political regimes that oppose it, noting that Israel is preparing to launch a possible attack on Iran, stressing that this comes within its strategy to expand its influence in the region.

Nazzal stressed the need for strong Arab military alliances to confront Israeli expansion, but he expressed his doubts about the ability of Arab countries to confront the current Israeli brutality. He also said that the West and the United States have no interest in stopping Netanyahu, since there is no one to pressure their interests, which allows Netanyahu to continue the Zionist movement’s expansionist project in the region.

Integrating Israel into the fabric of the region

In turn, writer and political analyst Sari Samour believes that Israel, since its inception, has dreamed of changing the map of the Middle East in line with its expansionist and colonial interests, but integrating Israel into the fabric of the region has remained a continuous challenge to the Zionist movement’s project.

Samour attributed this challenge to the racist and functional nature of Israel, which requires complete control over the region.

To achieve what Israel wants, Samour explained that this requires Israel to wage numerous wars that are not limited to countries and resistance movements hostile to it, but also include neutral regimes.

Samour believes that the cowardly Arab and Islamic regimes, which have chosen a position of neutrality and inaction, will pay the price in the end, explaining that Israel will not stop at targeting Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, and that its ambitions will increase with every success it achieves unless it is quickly curbed.

Samour pointed out that Netanyahu is not acting individually, but rather is considered an embodiment of the Zionist project in its quest to implement colonial plans to achieve the dream of establishing "Greater Israel."

Samour explained that Netanyahu holds the idea of superiority and aspires to be like the "founding fathers" of Israel, as he seeks to leave a strong personal imprint in Zionist history as one of the great leaders.

According to Samour, Netanyahu frequently uses Torah texts in his speeches, sending messages to the extreme religious right within Israel, while at the same time showing flexibility in dealing with secularists internally and externally.

Exploiting all available tools, religiously and secularly

He explained that Netanyahu is a pragmatic man who is adept at exploiting all the tools available to him, religiously and secularly, benefiting from his previous experience in diplomatic and commercial work during his youth in the United States of America, in addition to his mastery of the English language and his extensive international relations.

Regarding how to confront Zionist ambitions, Samour believes that the steadfastness of the resistance movements in Palestine and Lebanon is the basic and decisive response to Israel’s expansionist project, stressing that resistance is the main factor that can curb Israel and thwart its projects.

At the official level, Samour believes that Arab and Islamic countries can form a strong alliance to confront Israeli Zionist and expansionist policies, pointing out that Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, and perhaps some other Arab countries, may play a pivotal role in this alliance.

Sammour stressed that the resistance, whether in Palestine or Lebanon, remains the strongest fortress against Zionist plans, and is capable of changing the course of events in the region.