I could not agree more, though I would go a bit easier on Mr. Netanyahu at the present moment, given he is leading a country at war. On the other hand, his previous dithering does not bode well for the day after. The test will come when Israel conquers Gaza. Will it annex it, lock down the Palestinians, then turn the IDF guns on Ramallah and exert sovereignty over Judea and Samaria and lock down the Palestinians there? If not, then he too must go and the Israelis have to decide if they want to be a sovereign nation or not. But going before the UN with pleading is useless and misguided. Trump's statements are also silly and misguided, but he too understands little about the Arab Muslim world. See my latest piece on substack "The end of God's promise" for support for the thrust of your argument, which is basically correct. Time for Jews to push back strongly.
The UN is mainly composed of undemocratic antisemitic dictatorships of one sort or another.
Israel is the only democracy in the entire region.
I am English; we have a liar for a Prime Minister, just like the last one, like the ones we've endured ever since 1990. I do not personally believe we have had a Prime Minister who really believes in our country since 1990 - hopefully that will change in '99 or sooner.
In Bibi, as with your preceding Prime Ministers, you have a man who believes in your nation and in its people. He sets an example I only wish more of the West would follow.
By all means criticise his policies if you do not like them.
By all means vote for someone else if you so wish - at least you CAN vote for someone else unlike the genuine liar Abbas in the 21st year of a four year term of office.
At least you CAN criticise Bibi's policies, or Bibi personally without being shot in the head, burned alive or thrown off a high building. I respectfully suggest that your use of ad hominem and the bland 'liar' epithet conflates Bibi with the likes of Abbas, Arafat, Sinwar & Co.
You play to a gallery which includes your enemies. Your homicidal enemies.
Israel is quite possibly the only country in the world to which I would emigrate - I am not a Jew.
My point in calling Netanyahu a liar, and in naming the essay that way, is precisely because good, well-meaning people like you can be misled by the speech without appreciating the full Israeli context. Yes, it sounded strong in parts. But his actions have brought us to October 7th, and his actions have allowed the Palestinian Authority and Gaza to survive and arm themselves. He condemns the idea of a Palestinian state, yet under his leadership that state in practice has been allowed to exist for decades. That contradiction makes the words a lie, and him a liar.
Of course I never suggested he is equivalent to Abbas or Sinwar. He is not. In fact, I think he may be one of the best Western leaders of our era, but that only shows how dreadful the era is. Nearly all of today’s leaders are terrible. That does not absolve Netanyahu of accountability. As an Israeli, I believe I must judge the man responsible for my country’s fate not by his speeches, but by his deeds. And those deeds have failed us.
'Lie' & 'Liar' are ridiculously over-used in these times.
I respectfully suggest that you are focussing irrationally on a possibly unfortunate wart but thereby ignoring the rest of the healthy equivalent body politic and personal.
Churchill and Thatcher could both be critiqued in the minor and the over-egging of such critique may be deliberately aimed at the diminution of the majorly positives.
Your wonderful and inspiring country may - over far many eras than Bibi's - have been guilty of trying to be too kind to the genuinely bad guys, to the genuinely evil.
That certainly doesn't mean you should be unreasonably critical of the good guys.
Blaming Netanyahu for Oct 7 is intellectually and morally dishonest and factually wrong. All reasonable Israelis know that Netanyahu at present has a conflict of interests as he runs the country: he is in it for himself, trying to stay out of jail. And his coalition partners are a disgrace. But he was elected democratically, and that deserves respect. He will be deposed democratically as well. What led to 10/7 was the wrong appreciation of Hamas' capabilities and the mental denial of collective bodies, the naive faith in the containment of Hamas, the" concept" of judging reasonably as we Westerners do, an arrogance on the part of intelligence which denied facts presented to them, the trust in Qatar. Hell was paved with good intentions much of the way, and you can't crucify people for that. Mistakes were made? Of course. Omission and Commission , so what else is new? One day there will be a huge inquiry in Israel, as there has always been. Many high ranking officials have already resigned, admitting responsibility.
I regret that you chose to undermine Israel at this awful time by casting aspersions and calling Netanyahu a liar. I understand his political opposition protesting particular items, but ad hominem crosses a red line. He might have made a better speech, included other items, being more aggressive towards the UN, as Trump was, and more. Whatever. But not what you presented. Disappointing.
I could not agree more, though I would go a bit easier on Mr. Netanyahu at the present moment, given he is leading a country at war. On the other hand, his previous dithering does not bode well for the day after. The test will come when Israel conquers Gaza. Will it annex it, lock down the Palestinians, then turn the IDF guns on Ramallah and exert sovereignty over Judea and Samaria and lock down the Palestinians there? If not, then he too must go and the Israelis have to decide if they want to be a sovereign nation or not. But going before the UN with pleading is useless and misguided. Trump's statements are also silly and misguided, but he too understands little about the Arab Muslim world. See my latest piece on substack "The end of God's promise" for support for the thrust of your argument, which is basically correct. Time for Jews to push back strongly.
wow; a very well written article.. you didn't pull any punches...
shame they didnt ask u to write up his speech...
Thank you! I’d very happy to write and deliver
I think the title of your article is way over the top and inappropriate.
Sorry - it detracts from the message you're trying to communicate.
Is he not a liar and this isn’t a hall of liars?
The UN is mainly composed of undemocratic antisemitic dictatorships of one sort or another.
Israel is the only democracy in the entire region.
I am English; we have a liar for a Prime Minister, just like the last one, like the ones we've endured ever since 1990. I do not personally believe we have had a Prime Minister who really believes in our country since 1990 - hopefully that will change in '99 or sooner.
In Bibi, as with your preceding Prime Ministers, you have a man who believes in your nation and in its people. He sets an example I only wish more of the West would follow.
By all means criticise his policies if you do not like them.
By all means vote for someone else if you so wish - at least you CAN vote for someone else unlike the genuine liar Abbas in the 21st year of a four year term of office.
At least you CAN criticise Bibi's policies, or Bibi personally without being shot in the head, burned alive or thrown off a high building. I respectfully suggest that your use of ad hominem and the bland 'liar' epithet conflates Bibi with the likes of Abbas, Arafat, Sinwar & Co.
You play to a gallery which includes your enemies. Your homicidal enemies.
Israel is quite possibly the only country in the world to which I would emigrate - I am not a Jew.
My point in calling Netanyahu a liar, and in naming the essay that way, is precisely because good, well-meaning people like you can be misled by the speech without appreciating the full Israeli context. Yes, it sounded strong in parts. But his actions have brought us to October 7th, and his actions have allowed the Palestinian Authority and Gaza to survive and arm themselves. He condemns the idea of a Palestinian state, yet under his leadership that state in practice has been allowed to exist for decades. That contradiction makes the words a lie, and him a liar.
Of course I never suggested he is equivalent to Abbas or Sinwar. He is not. In fact, I think he may be one of the best Western leaders of our era, but that only shows how dreadful the era is. Nearly all of today’s leaders are terrible. That does not absolve Netanyahu of accountability. As an Israeli, I believe I must judge the man responsible for my country’s fate not by his speeches, but by his deeds. And those deeds have failed us.
'Lie' & 'Liar' are ridiculously over-used in these times.
I respectfully suggest that you are focussing irrationally on a possibly unfortunate wart but thereby ignoring the rest of the healthy equivalent body politic and personal.
Churchill and Thatcher could both be critiqued in the minor and the over-egging of such critique may be deliberately aimed at the diminution of the majorly positives.
Your wonderful and inspiring country may - over far many eras than Bibi's - have been guilty of trying to be too kind to the genuinely bad guys, to the genuinely evil.
That certainly doesn't mean you should be unreasonably critical of the good guys.
Oh - and I listened to his entire speech in the Hall of Liars - I thought it was inspirational.
Blaming Netanyahu for Oct 7 is intellectually and morally dishonest and factually wrong. All reasonable Israelis know that Netanyahu at present has a conflict of interests as he runs the country: he is in it for himself, trying to stay out of jail. And his coalition partners are a disgrace. But he was elected democratically, and that deserves respect. He will be deposed democratically as well. What led to 10/7 was the wrong appreciation of Hamas' capabilities and the mental denial of collective bodies, the naive faith in the containment of Hamas, the" concept" of judging reasonably as we Westerners do, an arrogance on the part of intelligence which denied facts presented to them, the trust in Qatar. Hell was paved with good intentions much of the way, and you can't crucify people for that. Mistakes were made? Of course. Omission and Commission , so what else is new? One day there will be a huge inquiry in Israel, as there has always been. Many high ranking officials have already resigned, admitting responsibility.
I regret that you chose to undermine Israel at this awful time by casting aspersions and calling Netanyahu a liar. I understand his political opposition protesting particular items, but ad hominem crosses a red line. He might have made a better speech, included other items, being more aggressive towards the UN, as Trump was, and more. Whatever. But not what you presented. Disappointing.