The war on Gaza is Israel's greatest failure since its establishment

The internal Israeli disagreements within the Israeli war cabinet and the Israeli-American differences that are emerging as part of the prevailing tension between Biden and Netanyahu are a reflection of the crises that resulted from the failure of the war on Gaza. This war is entering its sixth month without having achieved its declared goals of eliminating Hamas and liberating Israeli prisoners of war by force, despite turning the Gaza Strip into ruins.

So we aren’t “unfair” to Netanyahu, we must mention that these war goals are not only the product of his sick imagination but were formulated and produced in the joint Israeli-American war kitchen formed the day after 7 October. It is headed by Netanyahu and Generals Gallant, Gantz and Eisenkot participated. It was convened under the direct supervision of President Biden while US State Secretary Antony Blinken participated in it.

In this regard, Netanyahu is correct when he says that Biden cannot disown this because he was and still is an actual partner in the war and its goals. He cannot call for the elimination of Hamas and at the same time prevent the Israeli army’s operation in Rafah. The same applies to General Gantz, who attends the protests organised by the detainees’ families and votes against the exchange deal with Hamas in the war cabinet.

Without a doubt, what has been happening in Gaza since 7 October is the most dangerous failure in Israel’s existence since its establishment. It is a military, political, civil and strategic failure, and according to Israeli military analyst Amir Oren, it highlights the sharp decline in all “Israeli brands” represented by the “State of Israel”, the “Israeli Defence Forces”, and the “Israeli Intelligence”.

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Oren says that the war on Gaza disproved the theory of the short, bright, deceptive and limited war promoted by the generals of the past, which, when tested, turned out to be a false magic recipe for delusion and disappointment, as five months later, the Israeli army is still at least one tunnel away from the goal.

If Biden does not want to believe what one or more Israeli military analysts have said, he certainly must believe the report by the US Intelligence Community which indicated that Israel will have to confront armed forces affiliated with Hamas for years to come, and that the Israeli army will face difficulty in dismantling Hamas’s network of tunnels in the Gaza Strip.

We are also certain that Biden will try to evade the failure to achieve the war’s goals through political means, to which America donated the tools and influence it possesses in the region. This is by containing what remains of Hamas within the framework of a renewed Palestinian authority, returning the prisoners of war through an exchange deal, and establishing trade ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel for hints at a Palestinian state.

Biden, who did not imagine that he would be facing an election while the Israeli army is still involved in southern and northern Gaza, also did not imagine that his electoral race would take place against the backdrop of scenes of destruction, killing and starvation that he caused in the Gaza Strip. This is why we see his reaction as a mixture of disappointment at the failure of the Israeli army against Hamas, and anger at Netanyahu’s inflexibility and impudence, as Netanyahu refuses to accept reality and insists on an “absolute victory” that will not be achieved.

On Netanyahu’s part, having exhausted Biden’s unlimited generosity, he seems to prefer to wait for his Republican friend Trump, who, according to opinion polls, has greater support in Israel. Therefore, he will not take any steps that will help Biden in the elections, not only because their political visions are tactically different, but also because of their conflicting electoral interests as well. This is due to the fact that Biden wants to end the war or keep it on a low simmer in order to obtain the votes of Arabs and Muslims, while Netanyahu seeks to prolong the war and keep it burning as a means of remaining in power.

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This article first appeared in Arabic in Arab48 on 14 March 2024

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.