Netanyahu's Vision of Israel as 'Super Sparta' Means Eternal Siege
Haaretz Editorial, September 16, 2025
As the leaders of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and representatives from other members of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation convened in Doha for an emergency summit meeting following Israel's attempt to assassinate Hamas' negotiating team in Doha, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented Israel's isolation as something decreed by fate. In a speech to senior treasury officials, Netanyahu admitted that Israel was "in a kind of isolation," suggesting that "Israel conduct itself as though it were Sparta," turning its economy and society into a war machine.
Netanyahu is not just attempting to justify a diplomatic and security failure; he is trying to give this an ideological aura. However, in contrast to his populist explanations, this isolation is not a result of " Qatari campaigns" or the work of "belligerent Islamic minorities" in Western Europe, but of the policies of his government. Instead of listening to the warnings of Israel's partners and to the unequivocal message of the international community – return the hostages, stop the destruction in Gaza and promote a diplomatic solution – Netanyahu is advocating life under eternal siege.
Rather than soothing the public and promising he will do everything to halt the diplomatic isolation, he hinted at new and vague threats. "Even when you bring down a certain power … other forces rise to the surface … I won't mention names. Think for yourselves what the risks are," he said. When such words are said on the backdrop of an international summit meeting, there are no limits to the imagination and irresponsibility of "Mr. Security."
The isolation is not only in reference to the external world. Netanyahu's insistence on expanding the ground maneuver in Gaza in opposition to the positions of the IDF's chief of staff and senior defense establishment officials exposes the depth of the rift. While the army is warning that moving deep into Gaza will endanger the lives of hostages and embroil Israel in endless battle against an urban guerilla force, the prime minister is determined to "accelerate the operation."
It was learned on Sunday that, according to the army's chief of staff, Netanyahu is not even providing the IDF with a clear objective for this maneuver. One cannot overstate the gravity and danger of such a rift with the world and the army alike.
Sparta is not a model that a country embracing life should emulate. Anyone wishing to turn Israel into a Sparta is leading the country to disaster. Israelis should listen to the words addressed to them on Sunday by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi from Doha: "What is happening now is harming the future of peace, threatening your security and that of people in this region, blocking any chance for new peace agreements, while hurting existing ones with countries in the region."
Instead of raising the walls of the ghetto, Israel must do the opposite. It must sign a hostage deal, stop the war, say yes to a regional partnership, listen to the world and accept its willingness to be a guarantor for the "day after" in Gaza.
The above article is Haaretz's lead editorial, as published in the Hebrew and English newspapers in Israel.
link
|
