I believe that Benjamin Netanyahu is a highly dangerous psychopath, which is defined as a person characterized by traits such as a lack of empathy, remorse, or guilt, and often engages in manipulative or antisocial behavior. From the outset of this war, Netanyahu was very bullish that his dream of destroying Iran would follow. His ruthless tactics of assassinations actually prevent negotiation because they fear that just attending a meeting gives him the opportunity to kill them.
The tone of the statement from his office, acknowledging the ceasefire, was far more muted than his boisterous announcement at the outset. The ceasefire was clearly a decision made by President Donald Trump, not Netanyahu. Compared to the triumphal statements from the US and Iran, both of which claimed major victories after five weeks of war, Netanyahu clearly was defeated in his clever manipulation of Trump. Netanyahu characterized the operation as a success, but said the ceasefire was NOT the end and that Israel had more goals to achieve, either by agreement or renewing the fighting.
Netanyahu accomplished nothing. From the outset, he said the “goal of the operation is to put an end to the threat from the Ayatollah regime in Iran” and that “this operation will continue as long as necessary.” Netanyahu promised Israelis that this campaign would lead to the end of the Islamic regime, that by cutting the head of the snake, this war would remove an existential threat from Israel. None of these goals was achieved. Iran’s governing clerical establishment remains in place, although Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures have been killed in US-Israeli strikes, Iran’s armed forces have still been fighting on. As far as Iran’s nuclear program and stockpile of enriched uranium has not changed. Iran’s arsenal of ballistic missiles may have been depleted to some extent. It is widely assumed behind the curtain that they only used up perhaps 50%. Iran has been able to launch barrages of them towards Israel throughout the war depleting Israel’s defense.
Netanyahu maintains that Lebanon was not part of a ceasefire. Israel carried out a wave of air strikes across Lebanon following the US-Iran ceasefire announcement
This is a stark conflict over whether the ceasefire deal covers Lebanon has also emerged, which is putting the entire ceasefire at risk. Likewise, Iran is free to attack Gulf States. Netanyahu referred to this ceasefire as a “suspension” of hostilities, but that he had NOT publicly accepted the war was over. Clearly, all the damage Israel has endured with not a single stated goal achieved, this failure to achieve even one of his stated objectives was not good for him politically, and that another issue is the fact that Trump has assumed the leadership role with Netanyahu not having much of a say.
Until now, there were public displays of unity between Netanyahu and Trump, but their goals are now at odds. A full end to the war, if it is based on the “10-point proposal from Iran” that Trump has referenced, will be widely seen as a strategic success for Tehran, given that is constitutes a list of demands by its leadership. The real sticky point is a guarantee that Iran will not be attacked again. That seems to stick in the throat of Netanyahu and it suggests that he will see to create some sort of false flag to argue that Iran has violated the agreement.
Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition in Israel, said there had “never been such a political disaster in our entire history” and that “Israel was not even at the table when decisions were made concerning the core of our national security.” The tone of of Lapid’s statements demonstrates the political crisis brewing inside Israel. He added: “The army did everything they asked of it, the public displayed incredible resilience, but Netanyahu failed politically, failed strategically, and did not meet any of the goals he himself set.”
It is an election year in Israel, meaning Netanyahu could potentially lose power within months. This may give him the incentive to create a false flag yo restore the war.