Faced with the complex and difficult situation we have been experiencing since October 7, 2023, the Prime Minister must assume his responsibilities and act according to a coherent and pragmatic strategy, without changing his mind to satisfy the ambitions of a minister or a party, or to gain ground in an election campaign. Therefore, Netanyahu's promises to Donald Trump and all his interlocutors must be implemented to the letter, as they affect the credibility of the State of Israel and could have serious consequences on the international stage and for years to come.
The official rejection of the 15-point roadmap for Gaza is undoubtedly an unnecessary snub to the Americans and the peace committee, despite Trump's repeated assertions that his relationship with Netanyahu remains "very good"...
Nevertheless, we have heard a different perspective from the American president. Transparency and mutual trust are necessary in relations, but playing both sides is undignified in friendly relations between allies. Both Israelis and Americans want to know the whole truth about the ongoing discussions and those taking place behind the scenes.
However, this about-face is nothing new for Netanyahu, and each time the mask slips again. It has characterized the Prime Minister's policy since his first term, which began in 1996. At that time, under intense pressure from Bill Clinton, Netanyahu agreed to continue the Oslo Accords, agreed to negotiate with Arafat, and then withdrew from Hebron. Subsequently, he refused any concessions, but in 2009, after further pressure from Barack Obama, he delivered the famous Bar-Ilan speech, accepting the principle of a non-militarized Palestinian state.
Even today, Netanyahu's true intentions for resolving the conflict with the Palestinians remain an enigma. We also observe that since the end of the 1967 Six-Day War, no government has officially published a viable and pragmatic peace plan, resorting instead to vague pronouncements and a systematic refusal to create a Palestinian state without explaining why this refusal is justified.
These days, foreign chancelleries and the foreign press portray Netanyahu as "the saboteur of peace and the champion of settlements," while Hamas is singled out for its commitment to fulfilling the roadmap and dismantling all its weapons. (Sic) We know the truth on the ground and the Islamist organization's deceitful manipulations, as well as the hypocrisy of international opinion, but why fall into this trap every time and not think seriously before any crucial government decision?
Certainly, Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas, and of course the Hamas terrorist leaders, bear primary responsibility for the current situation, but for Israel to guarantee its defense and complete security, it will have to present a strategic plan, its own roadmap with solid arguments for each step. There are no shortcuts in such a complex peace process.
Today, Israel finds itself in a position of strength and is fortunate to have a great friend in the White House; let us not lose this unique opportunity without abandoning our own interests and fundamental principles.
A sudden and radical reversal is common among politicians, but it is unacceptable in international relations. We may have profound disagreements with our allies, but our duty is to be credible, never rejecting outright every peace process or third-party mediation, but accepting it with reservations and reservations.
After the overwhelming victory of the 1967 Six-Day War against several Arab armies, the rejection of the Rogers Plan and the Jarring mediation led to the war of attrition along the Suez Canal, terrorist attacks, and the devastating Yom Kippur War of 1973. Following the First Gulf War of 1990, the initial successes of the international conference convened in Madrid were foolishly overshadowed by the dangerous Oslo Accords. Let us not repeat the same mistakes!
By rejecting the roadmap for Gaza, Netanyahu abruptly changes his tune but in reality continues his zigzagging and double-speak. Worse still, on the ground, the IDF's hands are tied and soldiers can no longer adequately defend themselves in the event of an attack. Netanyahu's duty is to demand, in advance and in writing, from President Trump and Congress, American guarantees that the IDF will not withdraw from the Gaza Strip or from southern Lebanon until the arsenals of Hamas and Hezbollah are dismantled.
It is crucial that, faced with our diplomatic isolation, new Sunni alliances (the worrying strategic treaty signed between Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and tomorrow Egypt) as well as the persistent threats from the Iranian Shiite axis, the State of Israel must choose between extending the Abraham Accords and normalizing with its neighbors or persisting in living in a hostile and hopeless Islamist environment for future generations.
Finally, in order to prevail on existential and security issues, Israel will therefore have to establish defensible borders and ensure its security by creating buffer zones along its borders and above all obtain robust American guarantees to avoid forever the repetition of the nightmarish scenario of October 7, 2023.
