“The Israel we knew is gone, and the existence of the Israel of today is in danger,” warned Thomas Friedman, a prominent columnist. The New York Times, in his latest op-ed. He criticized both the Israeli leadership and American political figures for their handling of the current crisis.
In his column, Friedman, an American Jew, argued that Israel is in greater danger than ever, facing a multifaceted threat from Iran and its regional allies and proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Shiite militias in Iraq. Is. According to Friedman, Israel's military and diplomatic options were insufficient to deal with these threats at the time.
He warned of the possibility of war on three fronts – Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank – with Hezbollah's precision missiles posing a particularly serious threat to Israel's infrastructure. “Hezbollah in Lebanon, unlike Hamas, is armed with precision-guided missiles that can destroy a large part of Israel's infrastructure,” he said.
Friedman sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of prioritizing personal survival over national security due to ongoing corruption allegations. “Netanyahu has to stay in power to avoid possible jail time,” Friedman said. He claimed that Netanyahu's alliance with far-right extremists had worsened the situation, leaving a disorganized government unable to formulate a coherent strategy to end the conflict in Gaza.
Direct criticism of Netanyahu's government and handling of the war
“Netanyahu sold his life to form a government with far-right Jewish extremists,” asserted Friedman, highlighting the prime minister's controversial political moves.
Additionally, Friedman condemned American political leaders, including President Biden, AIPAC, and members of Congress, for failing to recognize and address the fundamentalism of the current Israeli government. “Not President Biden, the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, nor many in Congress agree on how radical this administration is,” he wrote. He highlighted the recent decision by House Speaker Mike Johnson and his Republican colleagues to invite Netanyahu to speak before a joint session of Congress on July 24. The aim was to sow the seeds of division between and sway American Jewish voters to Donald Trump.
Friedman criticized the political maneuvering behind the invitation, noting that “pushed into a corner, top Democrats in the Senate and House signed the invitation.”
“They have already done too much damage,” he wrote, lamenting the lack of accountability and awareness among American leaders.