If you can’t win one war, start an even bigger one
JVL Introduction
Israel’s security establishment has accepted that Hamas cannot be destroyed.
So Netanyahu’s response is, quite literally, to start another war, this time against the far-better prepared forces of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
And possibly against Iran as well.
Israel is utterly unprepared for such a war on the home front, but even that seems to be no deterrent to Netanyahu.
Peter Beinart is bemused at the absurdity and self-destructiveness of it all: “it’s not realistic to be continually bombing a place and not expect that people are gonna shoot back?”
RK
This article was originally published by the Beinart Notebook on Mon 5 Aug 2024. Read the original here.
If you can’t win one war, start an even bigger one
Loading article text…
Seems Israel “knows” USA will help annihilate Yemen.. .America is making $ BILLIONS in the Arms Industry.. perhaps like Westminster wanting National Service for unemployed young men , America too sees a way to ” Cut” unemployment…and the Benefits Budget.. If you search how many countries USA has bombed since WW2 ( America boomed afterwards unlike Europe) you’ll see a staggering list that covers 1/3 of the Earth’s population.. There’s MONEY in Warfare.. especially if you’re far away from the action….call me cynical..
Very soon after 7 October, one of my Israeli cousins said that it was existential. I thought he meant existential for the Palestinians. At least i thought it was likely existential for those in Gaza. My cousin meant existential for Israel / Israelis. Could we both be right?
RE “If you can’t win one war…” We are not witnessing a “war” in Gaza.. Where is the Palestinian air force and navy? It’s tanks and artillery? This is ethnic cleansing / genocide and legitimate though weak resistance to it Starting a greater battle with a better-armed enemy might be one way of diverting attention from the Crimes Against Humanity taking place in Gaza. AND WE MUST NOT IGNORE THOSE TAKING PLACE IN THE WEST BANK
Guessing what Netanyahu is thinking is all anyone can do. I believe it could be 2 things that are connected.
1. The US Presidential Election and 2. the US debt, which stands at $35 Trillion, a frightening amount.
The US has made $trillions out of wars it has created or been actively involved in since WW2 but supporting Israel in a war against Iran is going to cost them a fortune. If Iran started a war against Israel, they would almost certainly support them, they see Israel as its own Middle East, Fully Armed Military Base But, Israel starting a war would be a complete financial disaster for them. Netanyahu knows this and could be trying to draw them into supporting them before a new President is in place?
Joe Biden’s President until January …
Gut feel says Kamala Harris, Tim Waltz and the Democrats backing them will do their utmost to safeguard their new and fragile poll gains against Trump being sabotaged by anything Biden says and does in support of Israel.
So exactly HOW do you stop somebody as mentally frail and as emotionally fixated as Biden appears to be from falling headlong into the traps Netanyahu (and other sympathisers inside and outside the USA) will set for him? The US President can’t be perpetually not available to other world leaders on the phone or in person.
And somehow the question will have to be answered very soon whether the US – as UN Security Council member – should stop using its veto protecting Israel against UN global sanctions and legal punishments.