Leading us to a historic victory: A defense of Benjamin Netanyahu - opinion

It’s time to stop criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It’s tiring to hear people saying that he’s only interested in his own political survival. This is ridiculous.

These claims fail to recognize the immense achievements that Israel has secured under his leadership. The recent dismantling of existential threats to the State of Israel stands as a testament to Netanyahu’s strategic vision and unwavering resolve. The amount of pressure applied on Netanyahu and his government – internally, externally, internationally and politically – has been so immense it would be hard to imagine another leader who would be able to withstand it. 

The attempts to unseat him in Israel are akin to watching a Twilight Zone episode where there’s a parallel universe that willfully ignores what is so obviously plain and clear. Through it all he continues to stand firm and has been at the helm while Israel experiences a victory unimaginable by even the most bullish of analysts. Nobody could have predicted this.

The world, the opposition within Israel, and in many cases his own defense establishment told him “ceasefire now! Hostage deal now under any circumstance!” He was told “do not go into Rafah,” he was told “get out of Gaza, ceasefire now.” He was told “do not escalate in Lebanon” and then he was told “ceasefire now in Lebanon.” He was told “do not escalate with Iran,” he was told “do not attack Iran on its own soil.” He was told that “total victory” was impossible and we were told that he’s cynically just speaking to his own constituency. They were wrong and he was right.

Under Netanyahu’s stewardship, Israel has achieved what many deemed impossible. The axis of Shiite-backed terrorism, including Hamas and Hezbollah, has been greatly diminished, if not entirely destroyed. Hamas, once a formidable terrorist army with significant resources and influence, is now in shambles. Its leadership, including Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mohammed Deif, has been eliminated (to name a few). All the battalions of Hamas fighters have been neutralized, their operational capabilities dismantled, and their weapons stockpiles obliterated.

Israel has regained control of critical zones, such as the Philadelphi and Netzarim corridors, once seen as untouchable due to international pressure. Despite immense opposition, Netanyahu’s government pursued these objectives, securing the nation’s borders and eliminating key threats.

Between Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah being eliminated, the vast majority of the terrorist group’s leadership and command and control structure being destroyed, the vast majority of its rockets neutralized, thousands of its fighters killed and a ceasefire essentially imposed upon them, Israel finds itself victorious over Hezbollah.

Israel’s success

AS A DIRECT result of Israel’s success, Syria was deemed vulnerable and former president Bashar al-Assad was overthrown. The result of this has been Israel destroying 80% of Syria’s military and finally destroying a major corridor between Iran and Hezbollah. The effects of this are only beginning to be felt. This is another key component of Israel’s complete victory over its enemies.

With regard to Iran, the Islamic Republic has been revealed as a “paper tiger.” Through precision strikes and intelligence operations, Israel has effectively diminished Tehran’s ability to project power and destabilize the region. Netanyahu’s government has not only defended Israel but also demonstrated to the world that Iran’s supposed strength was largely an illusion.

If anyone wondered what it was like to live through the 1967 Six Day War or what it was like to experience this complete victory, this moment may answer that question. It’s more akin to a combination of the Six Day War in 1967 and the Yom Kippur War in 1973. The scale of the victory is immense and almost unimaginable, but the costs have also been quite significant. Prime Minister Netanyahu was ridiculed by expressing the notion of total victory, but inexplicably with all the evidence in front of us, as we stand on the precipice of total victory, we can see many of these same people refusing to give credit where credit is due. As this article is being written, there are forces within Israel that are trying to (undemocratically) unseat him.

It is easy for those living so close to the fire to feel only the burn and miss the light and warmth it produces. For those too focused on criticism, it’s time to step back and acknowledge the warmth and security that has been created. A combination of the IDF, the Israeli intelligence services, and the resilience and courage of the Israeli people, coupled with Netanyahu’s leadership, has been the reason for these victories.

Let us take a moment to appreciate this historic achievement and the resilience of a leader who stood firm against adversity. Instead of criticizing the prime minister, we should be saying, “Thank God for Benjamin Netanyahu.” This is a time to celebrate, not tear down, the leadership that has brought Israel to this moment of triumph.

As co-chairman of Emissary, the writer leads a new effort to fight antisemitism online. He believes that only through the power of people will we be able to affect the discourse on social media and beyond.