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Barak criticises Netanyahu: ‘In the absence of a realistic goal, we will end up mired in the Gaza quagmire’

January 20, 2024 at 9:37 am

Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and former Defence Minister Ehud Barak look on during a press conference on 12 November 2012 in Jerusalem [Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images]

Former Israeli occupation Prime Minister Ehud Barak criticised the policies of current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, warning that the course of the war might indicate Israel being “mired in the Gaza quagmire”.

This quote came from an article by Barak published in Israel’s Haaretz newspaper on Friday, titled “Israel Needs an Early Election – Before It’s Too Late”. Elections are set to be held in 2026.

Barak wrote: “The war is 15 weeks old. On the battlefield, we see inspiring displays of courage and sacrifice. In Israel, we see despair, a sense that despite the gains of the Israel Defence Forces, Hamas has not been defeated and the return of the hostages is receding.”

He pointed out: “For around three months now, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has prevented discussion of ‘the day after’ in the inner cabinet. This is unconscionable. The IDF cannot optimise the probability of winning when there is no defined political goal. In the absence of a realistic goal, we will end up mired in the Gaza quagmire, fighting simultaneously in Lebanon and in the West Bank, eroding the American backing and endangering the Abraham Accords and the peace agreements with Egypt and with Jordan. This kind of conduct drags Israel’s security into the abyss.”

In this context, Barak revealed: “Two months ago, the United States presented Israel with a proposal that meets the common interests of both countries, and that is still on the table, as follows: After Hamas’ capabilities are eliminated, an inter-Arab force drawn from members of the ‘axis of stability’ will be established to administrate the Strip for a limited period.”

“During this interim, Gaza will return to the control of a ‘revitalised’ Palestinian Authority, whose right to govern the territory is recognized internationally, subject to security arrangements that are acceptable to Israel. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will back the revitalized PA financially and underwrite reconstruction and infrastructure work,” he added.

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Barak described the US proposal as: “The only practical blueprint, and in exchange, Israel will have to take part in future talks toward a two-state solution. The proposal’s chances of success diminish the more Israel is seen to be faltering.”

He noted: “One can argue the U.S. proposal is bad; one cannot keep it from being discussed during a war when combatants are being killed. Standing between Israel and a feasible solution are Netanyahu himself and his extortionists, ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. They block Israel from acting for the sake of its security in coordination with the United States and drag it into the abyss in the service of private interests. Netanyahu realises that a ‘revitalized Palestinian Authority’ means losing Ben-Gvir and Smotrich and hastening his government’s end.”

Barak also conveyed: “There must be an early election. This will happen when the rage of the families of the hostages, the communities of the evacuees, the reservists and the large numbers of Israelis who remember October 7 well erupts.”

Barak’s article comes after Netanyahu announced on Thursday that he informed Washington of his opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state “within the framework of any postwar scenario” in Gaza, contrary to the US desire. He also stated his insistence on continuing the war in Gaza in order to achieve an “absolute victory” against Hamas.

The US called on the occupying state to reduce its aggression against Gaza and said that the establishment of a Palestinian state must be part of the day after the war plans, an idea that Netanyahu announced his explicit rejection of, instead demanding complete Israeli control of the Strip.

For the fourth month in a row, the occupation army continues its genocidal aggression against the Gaza Strip, with US and European support, as its planes bomb the vicinity of hospitals, buildings, towers and homes of Palestinian civilians, destroying them over the heads of their residents. The occupation also prevents the entry of water, food, medicine and fuel. This aggression has led to the martyrdom of 24,620 martyrs and 61,830 wounded and caused the displacement of more than 85 per cent (about 1.9 million people) of the population of the Gaza Strip.