Netanyahu isolated by his own policies

The current Israeli government is being isolated and flooded by intense internal criticism, not only from the Israeli opposition, but from the rank and file of its own far-right allies and even its ambassadors. The colonial/apartheid agenda of this government, which negates all other non-Jews, has created a solid wall of isolation around it like the apartheid wall intended to isolate Palestinians in their occupied land to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. Such self-destructive policy is driving away Israel’s traditional supporters around the world.

Israeli writer Eliakin Haetzni, commenting on the situation, said that “all in Likud, if they look truthfully and deeply, will find that the issue of the two-state solution, supported by the world and opposed by [Benjamin] Netanyahu’s government, has exacted a prohibitive price that made Netanyahu run for dear life to ally himself with [Avigdor] Lieberman to lessen the cost, but ended with losing the election”.

Ari Shavit wrote in Haaretz that “the election results are really personal because Netanyahu personally failed and lost big”. He commented that Netanyahu and Lieberman actually defeated themselves allowing “There is a Future” party to attain a huge victory. “The tenure of the undisputed ‘King Bibi’ has been cut short”, he said and “the stupid journey of the right-wing to the extreme right has also ended and the new right journey to the middle of the road has begun”. He concluded “the uprising of the enlightened Israeli side against the Israeli dark side was indeed very astonishing”.

Two former prime ministers of Israel, Ehud Olmert and Shimon Peres (now President of Israel), agreed that Netanyahu’s policy had made Israel look like an apartheid/racist state, which would put an end to the tranquillity enjoyed by Israel during the past recent years. President Peres, in an interview with the New York Times, said that “the idea that sees history as a horse that can be subdued by holding it by its tail is a very stupid one. Fire might erupt any time now in the Palestinian territories and the situation will be out of control, pushing the Palestinians to carry out military operations with the world supporting them and falsely calling Israel a racist state”. The former prime minister, Tzipi Livni, commenting on US President Barack Obama’s interview criticising Netanyahu, said it is “a warning bell for all Israelis to wake up from deep sleep”. The leader of the Meretz Party, Zahava Galon, touched on the core of the matter when he said that “Israelis should be very concerned because of Netanyahu’s refusal to read the prophecy written on the wall, which means that without the two-state solution, Israel will be no more”.

It is not unusual to be criticised by opponents, but to see it come from one’s own circle or party is rather strange. The Maariv newspaper recently quoted Naftali Bennett, the former chief-of-staff of Netanyahu as saying that “Netanyahu’s announcement pertaining to building new settlements [colonies] in the EI area has angered the world”. Bennet, an extreme right-winger who opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state and supports the complete annexation of the Occupied Territories, comments by saying that “the truth is that the decision to build [colonies] in EI was taken a few years ago, but without even seeing one house built. We announce one thing to anger the world, but without acting on it”.

The Yediot Ahronot newspaper recently reported details of a meeting held in occupied Jerusalem, chaired by the Chief of the Israeli National Security Council and attended by Israeli ambassadors around the world. In that meeting, Ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, asked about the logic behind the decision to build colonies in EI immediately after the UN vote that gave Palestine the status of an observer state. Most of the Israeli ambassadors heartily applauded Prosor’s question. The Israeli National Security Council chief caustically replied: “If the government’s policy does not meet your approval, you all should resign your posts and join the political parties of your liking.” “I do not believe” he added “that there was ever an incident when British ambassadors applauded statements criticising the British government or American Ambassadors doing likewise against President Obama’s policy.”

Yet, the most serious criticism came from the loyal side dedicated to preserving and protecting the national security of Israel. The well-known Israeli political pundit, Henry Siegman, wrote: “Six former chiefs of Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency, declared that Netanyahu’s policy was saturated with colonial ambition and obsession, preventing any peace settlement with the Palestinians.” Siegman further said: “The joint chiefs-of-staff of Israel absolutely refused a request from Netanyahu to draw a military plan to attack Iranian nuclear installations, based on their certainty that such an attack would spell the end of Israel.” The reason behind their refusal surfaced later in the media, pointing to Netanyahu’s blackmailing of the Obama administration, where “Israel attacks Iran and leaves the mess for America to clean afterward”. Turkey’s Daily News wrote: “No US government now will engage herself with a war after Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.”

In other words, any mess created by Israel will be left for Israel to clean up without a finger being lifted by America or Europe. If this is not a bitter isolation of Israel, then, what is?

Professor As’ad Abdul Rahman is the chairman of the Palestinian Encyclopaedia.