Another Forever War manufactured by Netanyahu with Israelis and Palestinians all dangled as bait

As Israel enters yet ANOTHER war, this one even more deadly and devastating than all that came before it, with even more powerful rockets destroying buildings, bodies, and lives -- Israelis and Palestinians, all of us in the same boat, though Palestinians have it much worse -- as we observe this next level insanity that we are now living in, let's take a moment and remember that it did NOT have to be this way.

There were and remain alternative, non-violent options for bringing safety and security to all the people who live here, options that the Israeli government has never really tried. This war will certainly NOT make us safer. Just as the Forever War in Gaza will not make anyone better or safer in any way. Nor will this new war with Iran end the possibility of Iran developing nuclear bombs. That reality does not exist -- even Bibi's own people have said that.

Very much like Netanyahu's rabble-rousing to "End Hamas", which we know cannot and will never be possible, certainly not via military attacks, here, too, the ending of Iran's nuclear capacity will not happen in this war. it's just a slogan. To keep us supporting the war. Just as the entire bombardment of both Gaza and Lebanon will not end rocket fire to Israel despite Netanyahu's empty slogans, so, too all of Israel's military might raining down on Iran's television stations or whatever, and even destroying all of Tehran as Trump vows, all of that will not stop Iran from getting back to its nuclear plans.

These are slogans aimed at giving the government support to keep the war going. The army still has stuff to do, so everyone just shut up.... That kind of thing....

Photo: Ronen Zvulun

You know what brings security to people? Negotiated peace agreements.

If Israel were to engage in real negotiations and come to real deals that benefit everyone, we would have peace and security. If people lived in peace and had their needs met, there would be no incentive for anyone to ruin all that with 1000s of rockets and thousands dead. If we were to engage in real talks for real, long-term solutions, we would all be able to sleep, work, and move freely.

But Netanyahu's Israel has consistently rejected all efforts at negotiated agreements both with Iran and with Palestinians.

Of course. Peace and security are not in Bibi Netanyahu's interest. For his entire career, he has built up power based on one thing: FEAR. He has been screaming about how Jews and Israelis are under an eternal "existential threat" since forever. That "existential threat" fear keeps people flocking to him. The more people are afraid, the more they look to him to do WHATEVER HE WANTS to keep them safe. The more he convinces people that they are about to die, the more he is FREE to break international law, to defy all morality, to destroy mechanisms of democracy, and ultimately stay in power.

remember this? netanyahu using the cardboard and marker from the UN podium to “prove” Iran’s existential threat thing.

Bibi Netanyahu is so happy in war. He practically glows. He is in his element. It doesn't matter that his entire country is now in the line of Iran's rockets. These are all "sacrifices". Like he talks about the hostages as "sacrifices", now we are all "sacrifices". Someone give him a cigar!

Let's be clear about what is happening here. This whole war is a tactic for Netanyahu to keep us all terrified and frozen in fear so he can do what he wants. Now that Israel is conducting this crazy war with Iran, suddenly nobody is talking about his war crimes in Gaza. Nobody is pushing for a Palestinian state or an international summit for peace. Nobody is protesting on the streets to end the war. Nobody is calling for elections. Nobody is screaming about the hostages.....WIN WIN FOR BIBI!! The longer this war goes on, the safer Netanyahu is in his seat. All the pressures that were threatening him just one week ago have magically disappeared! Wow! The magical touch of a little war with Iran!

He knew this would work. Iran has been his magic wand for decades. DECADES! For decades, every time he was pushed into a corner, he would respond with, "But Iran! Existential threat!" Whenever the world pushed for an end to the bombardment in Gaza, he replied, "IRAN! Existential threat!" When his poll numbers were down and people were asking about things like, say, the education system or an end to corruption, he riled up voters with "Existential threat! IRAN!" Somewhere in my archives I shared a clip of this from like ten years ago, when there was a nurses' strike and reporters asked him what he was going to do about it, he responded, "But IRAN! Existential threat!"

This has been his strategy forever. When he is most at risk, he creates the Iranian Existential Threat. It has worked every time.

And now, this time, when he was most at risk personally -- his coalition on the brink, close to being arrested for war crimes, international sanctions against his cabinet members, countries announcing boycotts of Israel, Macron and the UN planning to circumvent him with a massive peace plan, even Trump dillydallying in his support for Israel -- he played his ultimate card, the one he has been holding for the longest time. He got Iran to attack Israel.

Yes, Bibi Netanyahu got Iran to attack Israel.

Of course he did. He needed to show us all that the existential threat is real. He is using us all at fish bait, threatening all our lives, in order to stay in power.

He didn't have to do this. He could have negotiated. He could have pursued regional security. But what good would that do for him? This way is much better for him.

I know most Israelis can't hear this right now. Because right now, as everyone is sitting in safe rooms that aren't even always safe anymore with these next-level rockets, as everyone is affected directly by all of this with lives on hold in a zillion ways and anxieties through the roof, it's hard to hear that our prime minister manufactured this war and is using us all and that it didn't have to happen this way. After all, the Iranian government clearly DOES hate Israel and doesn't seem too unhappy about attacking us -- even if, you know, they are ALSO attacking Palestinians..... It's hard for Israelis to face the reality that our own government wanted this all to happen and is not actually protecting us but protecting itself.....

But when this war is over, maybe the reckoning will finally happen. Maybe.

Which is why, btw, this may be yet become another Forever War. Like the one in Gaza. That Netanyahu's government has no intention of ending. Ever. The end of war may mean being held accountable. And real elections. And for them, they are willing to do anything but that.

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So here we are, in yet another forever war created by our prime minister in order to keep us all in danger so we will be too afraid to mention anything else -- democracy, hostages, Gaza, Palestinians, war crimes, Macron, international law, the West Bank, corruption, messianism, calls for elections..... or heaven forbid peace plans.

How much more can we take before Israel collapses under the weight of its own leadership? Because this version of Israel is not sustainable for much longer.....

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