Thread. Netanyahu is wagging the tail by starting another military conflict with the Palestinians for a number of obvious strategic reasons. One is to split the opposition, thereby preventing a breakthrough in their negotiations about the formation of a new cabinet. /
2/ It worked immediately. Naftali Bennet, the rightwing firebrand, declared that under these circumstances he couldn’t join a coalition with Arab parties. He now offers to back Netanyahu’s idea of directly electing the prime minister - virtually guaranteeing his hold on power. /
3/ The other aim is to block the US from talking with Iran about its nuclear program. The ploy was equally simple: provoke Hamas into firing more than its usual daily number of rockets, then declare war out of “self-defense”. Hamas would do the rest - with Iranian rockets. /
4/ This too is working a charm. The GOP loudly demands suspension of Iran talks. Meanwhile Biden and Europe’s leaders, afraid to be seen as criticizing a Jewish politician under attack from terrorists, meekly endorse Israel’s response while stressing its right to “defend itself”/
5/ The phony war will end up giving Netanyahu everything he wants: a prolonged grip on power (= avoiding jail), the opposition further divided, the West forced to suspend talks with Iran & falling in line behind him. And all for the price of a few hundred dead Palestinians. /End
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