Netanyahu, Sparta and Israeli Isolation

By Ali Saadeh

In a rare contrast to his arrogant, narcissistic personality, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that Israel is being increasingly isolated in the international community, as more and more countries either suspend military cooperation, are reviewing arms deals with it, and/or in the process of imposing diplomatic, political, and economic relations with Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu has already acknowledged that “a diplomatic tsunami is on the way, [plainly speaking] isolation, and we will be forced to adapt, more and more, to an economy that, in certain aspects, has the characteristics of self-sufficiency.” He added: “We are Athens and Sparta,” in reference to the two ancient Greek cities.

Netanyahu chose Sparta, meaning isolation and self-absorption. “He chose Sparta specifically from among all the places in the world as it lived in ruins and under a harsh dictatorship, and finally was swallowed by its neighbors,” according to Yoav Limor, a military affairs analyst for Channel 12.

Benjamin Netanyahu was “successful” in his choice of Sparta, because today it has become clear to the world that he is leading the occupying state towards a fate similar to that of ancient Sparta, which built its existence on perpetual violence before eventually collapsing.

The Hebrew media focuses on the danger of the Israeli occupying state transforming itself into a society that thrives on violence and perpetual war, much like Sparta, which ultimately collapsed.

Of course, this comparison is not merely a historical image; it reflects a deep-seated fear that this occupying entity is in a state of true collapse and has entered a dangerous path that threatens its existence and long-term stability.

Some in Israel are even beginning to talk about the fact that Netanyahu may even possibly be the last prime minister of this occupation state.

Sparta turned to military rule after being forced to wage long wars with its neighbors, most notably Athens, fighting with it a devastating war that lasted a quarter of a century, known as the Peloponnesian War. Its influence, both real and moral, expanded over the neighboring Greek cities.

The occupying state appears to be on the verge of collapse under the leadership of Netanyahu and his government, which resembles a group of mentally ill people who have secretly escaped from a mental hospital under cover of darkness.

This opinion by Ali Saadeh was translated from the Arabic Al Sabeel website.

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Palestinian State and The Poker Game

By Dr Khairi Janbek

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a politician above all else. He is dogmatist in rejecting a Palestinian state, and a pragmatist when he talks about it, but all that depends on the position taken by the United States. 

Ever since one can remember from the days of the Oslo Agreements, a Palestinian state, as a term swung between two conceptions: A future project on the ground, and a slogan up-in-the-air to pander on, and as many from my generation remember the rather acerbic comment: Gaza-Jericho First of 1993 which came to be the first and the last.

The Israeli government of that time, believed that it would bring the Palestinians to independenance as interlocutors in determining the occupied West Bank of Jordan that came about by discussing the issue through a joint Jordanian-Palestinian delegation.

However, the little that was agreed upon started to be eroded by the first Netanyahu government, which at times implicitly and at times explicitly acted in the way so as to negate the Oslo agreements with impunity.

One would like to say that since then plenty of water has passed under the bridge, but when it comes to the Palestinian issue, it’s always the same water and the same bridge.

At this point one must say that everywhere in the media there are supposedly leaks and plans about the day after with regards to the Gaza Strip. However, the only consensus between the international community at large and officialdom of the Arab world, is that Hamas should surrender its weapons. But really what happens next?

Silence in the Arab world rules the scene which is in a way saying what cannot be said, which is in other words don’t involve us directly but we shall try to do what we can. This is habitually the Arab position in always being reactive rather than active.

And now on the international scene is the big drive to recognize a Palestinian state, which is for the time being affirming a point of principle, and towards which Israel is actually debating the annexation of the West Bank, as if to say, if the West Bank is reoccupied by Israel, where is this Palestine you want to recognize?

And adding insult to injury, the Washington administration has refused entry to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the PNA leadership to attend the UN General Assembly meetings. This indicates that it does not recognize that there is a leadership of the Palestinians.

However, and despite saying this, one wishes to be able to say that we might be jumping the proverbial gun, in the sense that, the issue is just a matter of tit-for-tat telling states: You recognize Palestine we take measures to counter that, but alas the Israeli annexation was contemplated long before the international recognition of a Palestinian state.

Now, what will it mean if Israel does go ahead and annexes the West Bank and cancels the Palestinian authority? Well, once again the international community, to the exclusion of the USA, will have to consider the West Bank as and Israeli occupied territory, and once again, the world will have to go back to the Security Council for an attempt to resolve the issue.

Dr Khairi Janbek is a Jordanian columnist living in Paris, France.

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Netanyahu Wants ‘to Free’ and ‘Occupy’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday he ordered immediate negotiations to secure the release of all hostages held in Gaza and end the war, even as he approved plans to occupy Gaza City.

The announcement appeared contradictory, coming days after Hamas accepted an Egyptian-Qatari proposal to free roughly half the hostages in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire and talks toward a permanent truce – terms at odds with Israel’s stated goal of occupying Gaza City.

“I came to approve the army’s plans to take control of Gaza City and decide the battle against Hamas,” Netanyahu said in statements carried by Israeli Channel 12 during a visit to the military’s Gaza Division.

“At the same time, I instructed immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and to end the war under conditions acceptable to Israel,” according to Anadolu.

Israel estimates Hamas is holding around 50 hostages, including 20 believed to be alive. More than 10,800 Palestinians are imprisoned in Israel, amid rights groups’ accusations of torture and medical neglect.

“We are in a decisive stage, and I deeply appreciate the response of reservists and the regular army for this vital mission,” Netanyahu said, claiming that defeating Hamas and freeing all captives “go hand in hand.”

It was the first time Netanyahu had directly addressed a potential exchange deal since Hamas announced its acceptance of the Egyptian-Qatari proposal.

Israeli media said the plan involves Israeli troop redeployments to areas near the border to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, along with a 60-day pause in fighting.

During that time, exchanges would proceed in two phases: releasing 10 Israeli hostages alive and 18 bodies in return for Palestinian prisoners, and launching talks on permanent de-escalation from day one.

On Wednesday, Defense Minister Israel Katz approved a military plan dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots 2” to seize Gaza City despite mediation efforts.

The plan envisions forcing roughly 1 million residents southward, surrounding the city and carrying out raids in urban areas. A second phase would target refugee camps in central Gaza, many of which have already suffered heavy destruction.

Israel has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, and led to food shortages and starvation deaths.

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Jordan’s PM: ‘Greater Israel’ Illusion

Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan on Tuesday called the so-called “Greater Israel” vision an “illusion,” stressing that Tel Aviv is “isolated” due to its “extremist” policies.

“We hear about visions and proposals that imply a perpetual war with no end, such as the illusion of Greater Israel entertained by extremist politicians in Israel,” Hassan said during a meeting in Amman with his Lebanese counterpart, Nawaf Salam, who arrived in the Jordanian capital early Tuesday for an unannounced visit.

He said Israel is “isolated and besieged because of its extremist policies.”

“The entire reality points to (Israeli) policies that deepen hatred and resentment as a result of ongoing massacres, and the peoples of the world and the region will not forgive them,” he added in his comments carried by the official Petra news agency.

On Monday, Jordanian government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani accused the far-right in Israel of “threatening the region and undermining prospects for a two-state solution.”

“Greater Israel” is a Biblical term used in Israeli politics to refer to the expansion of Israel’s territory to include the West Bank, Gaza, Syria’s Golan Heights, Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, and parts of Jordan.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a news channel that he feels “very attached” to the vision of a Greater Israel. He said he considers himself “on a historic and spiritual mission” which “generations of Jews that dreamt of coming here and generations of Jews who will come after us,” according to Anadolu.

Israel has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

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Ehud Barak: ‘Netanyahu Lies Like He Breathes’

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak harshly attacked current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saturday evening, asserting that he “lies like he breathes.”

He added, “Netanyahu no longer cares about state security, but only about his personal security and political survival.”

In new statements, Barak accused Netanyahu of waging a “futile war” aimed at evading his trial on corruption charges and the conscription law crisis related to exemptions of ultra-Orthodox Israelis. He added, “Netanyahu misled US President Donald Trump and his associates, convincing them that Israel has only two options: Either submit to Hamas or continue fighting until the last of its fighters are eliminated.”

Barak asserted that “Trump understands nothing about military matters and is completely dependent on Netanyahu,” noting that the latter “succeeded in obtaining American approval to continue this futile war.”

Barak believed that continuing the war serves Hamas’s interests, saying, “Israel will sink deeper into the Gaza quagmire and will not be able to eliminate the movement this way.”

“We may disagree with some previous leaders, but they were neither cowards nor liars. Today we live under a leadership that has completely lost its compass,” Barak concluded.

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