PNN – A Zionist analyst has admitted that, after three years, it has become evident that the outcome is a defeat for Israel.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; Daniel Friedman acknowledged in an article published in the Maariv newspaper that—nearly three years after the events of October 7—Netanyahu’s government remains in power and the war drags on; meanwhile, Israel’s standing has deteriorated, Hamas has retained its power in the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian issue has returned to the forefront of global affairs.
The article continues: The “Iron Swords” war has lasted nearly three years and has not yet concluded; however, from the perspective of Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet, he achieved his primary objective—an objective that, by the admission of this Israeli expert, stands in complete contradiction to Israel’s interests.
Elsewhere, the author notes: The war’s main goal was to ensure the survival of Netanyahu and his cabinet following the failure of October 7, 2023. This goal was fully realized.
Netanyahu’s clear and well-founded premise was that as long as the war continued, the government would remain in power, despite bearing full responsibility for the catastrophe.
The author notes that the Yom Kippur War, which began in 1973—fifty years prior to the October 7 massacre—concluded in just three weeks. Reservists gradually began returning home. One of them, Ashkenazi, launched a hunger strike demanding the dismissal of Defense Minister Moshe Dayan. Tens of thousands of civilians and reservists joined him. In April 1974, roughly six months after the war ended, Prime Minister Golda Meir announced her resignation, bringing her government to an end.
Netanyahu’s government managed to avoid a scenario similar to that of Golda Meir’s administration. Unlike Meir, Netanyahu refrained from establishing a commission of inquiry, acknowledging that as long as the war continues, public attention will remain focused on captured soldiers, casualties, and other events of the ongoing conflict. All fronts have remained active to date, although the situation in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon is somewhat tense due to Donald Trump’s decision.
It seems evident that the Netanyahu government is attempting to prolong the war—at least until the elections—perhaps in the hope that an escalation prior to the vote might allow for a postponement.
The most significant and devastating consequence of the war for Israel is the total collapse of its international standing and the surge in global support for the Palestinians and the establishment of a Palestinian state.
This phenomenon is apparent to the American public and even among American Jews—many of whom voted for New York’s Muslim mayor, a staunch opponent of Israel.
Elsewhere in the article, the author acknowledges that Netanyahu’s current cabinet has completely destroyed Israel’s international standing. Having adopted a policy of perpetual war, this government seeks to instill the belief that security can be achieved solely through military means.
The devastation in Gaza is precisely what guarantees Israel’s security, based on the premise that force is the only language understood and respected in our neighborhood. The leaders of this establishment anchor their security rhetoric in the very force used to strike their enemies.
Added to all this is Jewish terrorism in the West Bank, along with announcements regarding the resettlement of the Gaza Strip and the “voluntary evacuation” of its inhabitants. Also included are incidents such as the filming of the humiliation of participants in the Freedom Flotilla—which had been heading toward Gaza—and Itamar Ben-Gvir’s arrogant posturing before defenseless prisoners.
Israel’s standing in the world has suffered a significant decline, coinciding with the further collapse of Netanyahu’s personal standing, particularly following the International Criminal Court’s issuance of an arrest warrant against him.
His (and Israel’s) weak position was starkly revealed during a recent phone call with President Trump, who bluntly told Netanyahu—in English—”Everyone hates you now. Everyone hates Israel because of what is happening.” These words have been widely reported.
This was a continuation of Trump’s tendency to humiliate Netanyahu. The saga began when Netanyahu was forced to apologize by phone to the leader of Qatar for a failed Israeli attack on his country.
Israel was then completely sidelined from the U.S. negotiations with Iran aimed at ending the war—negotiations in which concessions required by Israel were discussed.