Vindication.
More proof.
On 14 July this blog had an entry headed “Publication’s true colors finally exposed to readers” (https://tinyurl.com/639sbbam) in which it suggested former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is behaving as badly as Hillary Clinton or my grandchildren, perhaps worse.
Today, a headline in World Israel News (https://tinyurl.com/mdnr55ue) confirms, at least for this scrivener, yesterday’s effort.
THE HEADLINE: "Bennett twiddling his thumbs while Iran goes nuclear," charges Netanyahu followed by a leed paragraph that reads Bennett’s office fired back, accusing Netanyahu of failing to deal with the Iranian threat during his years in power.
Netanyahu missed his chance to act when Donald Trump was U.S. president.
Not only was Trump a strong supporter of Israel, but Muslim countries in the region feared Iran more than they hated Israel, ergo the Abraham Accords.
Now, Trump is gone — perhaps only temporarily — and the leftistS in the U.S. control the White House.
Bennett finds not even luke warm support for an attack on Iran in Washington.
The Abraham Accords, now defunded by the leftists, are tottering — it be a small miracle if they survive the current administration.
What would Bibi do about enemies?
Given he did relatively little during his more-than-a-decade as Israel’s prime minister, even when he had strong support from Washington, what would he do were he in Bennett’s position and had zero support from the White House and the sycophants surrounding the occupants of the nation’s capitol?
Given his lack of action against Iran when he had political support from Washington, why is anyone listening to his sour grapes (right) now than Bennett is at the helm?
Netanyahu has publicly stated his goal is to “bring down the government.”
Like a petulant child, if Netanyahu can’t get his way, he will take his toy (the government) and go home.
Netanyahu has once again driven people out of “his” party, Likud, and he refused a chance to bring in a right-wing, Likud-led coalition by simply stepping down as party head (and therefore prime minister) for a year.
It’s documented.
What can Bennett do?
The reality is that Bennett’s hands are tied.
Washington has abandoned Israel to kowtow to Iran (lifting Trump’s effective sanctions) and restoring the funding to the “Palestinians” that Trump canceled that nearly forced Ramallah to the negotiating table.
Israel could turn Iran into ashes.
Israel could seal the borders to PLO/PFLP areas and its border with Hamas in Gaza. (The Hamas Gaza/Egyptian border is open as long as Egypt is willing to allow traffic through it. Israel does not control Egypt’s actions.)
While much of the Muslim world would privately applaud, it would publicly condemn Israel.
Europe would shun Israel while some secretly would be delighted. Euro-liberals would take to the streets for a new Kristallnacht.
The leftists in North America — lest we forget the Canadians — would gnash their teeth, wring their hands, and send BLMers to destroy anything and everything Jewish in their own countries.
China would see such actions as another opportunity to extend its influence.
Bottom line: Israel would win the battle but loose the hasbara (PR) war, a war it has continued to lose since 1949.
Beyond that, there are some, perhaps many, in Iran that would prefer the ayatollahs to get out of government and return to their madrashas. While the mullahs probably would sacrifice the average Iranian (Persian) to stay in power, Israel — as proven multiple times in Gaza — is less inclined to murder innocents.
As an aside: Netanyahu was prime minister for a dozen years. Why didn’t he eliminate Hamas, et al, and put an end to the missile attacks on Israeli civilians? Gaza is a much smaller enemy than Iran and a much lesser threat than Iran. And then there is Hezbollah in Syria/Lebanon. Netanyahu failed to remove it and is rockets.
Bennett’s problems
In addition to Bennett’s problems with Washington and Netanyahu’s whining, he also must contend with a government that includes
✡ Likud — Netanyahu’s sycophants and loyalists
✡ Far left parties such as the almost defunct Labor party and Meretz
✡ Anti-Israel parties such as Ra’am
The “religious” parties refused to be part of a government that includes the anti-Israel Ra’am party.
A number of members of the more centrist parties simply wanted to be rid of Netanyahu.
The “Dump Netanyahu” movement
✡ Caused some members to abandon Likud
✡ Forced other right wing and centrist parties to look to other leadership
In order to maintain a coalition of unlikely bedfellows, Bennett and his partner in the leadership, Yair Lapid ,have had to compromise their own political positions. That included accepting Ra’am into the government and naming PLO supporter Ibtisam Mara’ana from the Labor party to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (https://tinyurl.com/47xbbahc).
For the good of the country
If Netanyahu really cared about the county that allowed him to lead it for more than a decade, he would do what former national leaders have done: assume the role of “elder statesman,” write (or find a ghost writer) for a book about his real or imagined successes, retire to his home to raise flowers and grandchildren.
Ben Gurion did it.
Menachem Begin did it.
Even Golda Meir did it.
Quiet retirement not to Netanyahu's liking?
He could do as Ehud Barak, Ehud Olmert, Moshe Sharett and find a profitable situation .
He could even convince his buddies in the Knesset to name him president, as Shimon Peres did.
Netanyahu would rather bring down a government before it gets a chance to accomplish anything — accomplishments would make Netanyahu’s years in office look bad — than to accept defeat and retire gracefully “Stage Right.”
He put his ego above his party and he put his ego above a conservative coalition.
He needs to put his ego on a shelf.
Given time, Bennett and Lapid may well have Israelis wishing Netanyahu was at the helm, but for now, he is not, and his whining is unbecoming for a former prime minister.
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