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Netanyahu is a disaster for Israel
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FT editor Roula Khalaf selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.
The writer is chief executive of sports and entertainment companies Endeavor and TKO Group Holdings
This is a painful time for all of us who love Israel. It is also a moment that demands that we speak out, urgently and without fear, against anti-Semitism and in favor of Israel’s right to defend itself – but also about the continued failures of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the need for new leadership .
Israel is a democracy and it is, of course, up to the Israeli people to choose their own leaders. But Jews in America and around the world also have a stake in this, and we cannot remain silent.
I remember sitting with my family watching television reports about the six-day war in 1967, praying that Israel would survive. Less than three weeks later, I was on the ground myself, on one of many visits over the years that followed. As Jews, we can never forget that we must defend ourselves – and what happens when we don’t.
Israel did not initiate the war in Gaza. Hamas did this. On October 7, they broke a ceasefire and massacred, raped and tortured innocent civilians. Hamas could end this war today. They could release the hostages, renounce their promise to exterminate Israel, and stop hiding among civilians in and around schools, mosques, and hospitals. They will not do so and the result will be immense suffering and painful Palestinian casualties.
This does not justify the International Criminal Court’s outrageous decision a few weeks ago to equate Israel and Hamas. It does not justify the rise in anti-Semitism on campuses and around the world. When students say that Zionists “don’t deserve to live,” we shouldn’t excuse them as misguided children. They are anti-Semitic thugs. When they sing “from the river to the sea”, they call for the elimination of the Jewish State. This is not about freedom of expression. It’s a question of right and wrong.
But for Israel’s security and for the sake of innocent people on both sides, this war needs to end – not just the fighting in Gaza, but the broader conflict with the Palestinians. As former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid recently said, he said, if Israel wants to remain the strongest country in the Middle East, it must “remain the strongest democracy in the Middle East”. To do this, it must “begin the long journey” to separate itself from the Palestinians.
Two states for two peoples, with security and dignity for all, are essential to Israel’s long-term survival as a democratic Jewish state. It is not a favor or a reward for terrorism. In fact, it’s the last thing Hamas wants to see. The same applies to his supporters in Iran.
Getting there will require difficult negotiations. But it is possible. I know a thing or two about closing tough deals. My mother taught me that you don’t negotiate peace with friends. You negotiate peace with enemies.
The essential ingredient is strong, wise leaders on both sides. Unfortunately, they are currently out of stock.
Netanyahu is a narcissist. He failed spectacularly to keep the Israelites safe. Before October 7th, he he said its aim was to empower Hamas in Gaza in order to undermine the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and, with it, the possibilities for a two-state solution. Thus, he allowed hundreds of millions of dollars from Qatar to be funneled to Hamas.
Netanyahu has failed as a leader in times of war. It is no surprise that Hamas is reappearing in already vacated areas of Gaza, because Netanyahu has no plan and has refused to learn the lessons of previous conflicts, including the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The generals are practically screaming that he is dangerously incompetent.
Netanyahu has no plan on how to end the war or ensure peace because that is not his goal. He has only one plan: an endless war to stay in office and get out of prison. In this he is, so far, a success.
US Senator Chuck Schumer is right when he says that “Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah.” But that’s what’s happening. When I was a child, whenever a Jew appeared on the news who had done something bad, my father would say, “He is ruining the reputation of the Jewish people in the world!” This is Netanyahu. He is causing lasting harm to both Israel and Jews around the world.
There is no contradiction in saying that Israel must do whatever is necessary to free the hostages and destroy Hamas, while also seeking to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza, end settler violence and seek a two-state solution. We can mourn the deaths of innocent Palestinians and denounce anti-Semitism wherever it hides. These are all just causes and they are all connected. But none of this will happen with a failed, incompetent and selfish leader in charge. Netanyahu must go.