Professor Yuval Noah Harari, historian, author of "Sapiens," "Homo Deus" and "Unstoppable Us," and cofounder of the social-impact company Sapienship, writes in an opinion piece in Haaretz that Israel is facing a historic defeat, the bitter fruit of years of disastrous policies. If the country now prioritizes vengeance over its own best interests, it will put itself and the entire region in grave danger.
Consider Consequence of Biting the Hand
The Netanyahu government has managed to derail even our relations with the United States, as if we have an alternative source for arms and diplomatic backing. The younger generations in the United States, and around the world now see Israel as a racist and violent country that expels millions from their homes, starves entire populations, and kills many thousands of civilians for no better reason than revenge.
There is no doubt that Hamas is a murderous organization that on October 7 committed heinous crimes. But Israel is supposed to be a democratic country, which even when confronted by such atrocities continues to respect international laws, protect basic human rights and abide by universal moral standards.
But perhaps out of sheer inertia, Netanyahu keeps biting the hands that feed us. Israel's deepening international isolation, and the hatred being expressed toward Israel among academics, artists and young people is not only the product of Hamas propaganda – it is the product of Netanyahu's skewed priorities over the last 15 years.
Nothing more will be gained from continuing the war. It is a dangerous illusion to believe that one more victory, in Rafah, will bring about the collapse of Hamas, the release of all the hostages, and the surrender of Israel's many enemies. Every additional day of war only serves the purposes of Hamas and Iran, and intensifies Israel's international isolation. (Harari, n.d.)
Times of Israel staff and reporter Lazar Berman write that Israel is increasingly worried by the prospect of the International Criminal Court in The Hague issuing arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli political and military leaders for alleged breaches of international law in Gaza. This was reported on Channel 12 news, Israeli television, Thursday April 18, 2024.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz’s office confirmed to The Times of Israel that the meeting took place and said there were also discussions about the possibility that warrants could be issued against IDF officers.
Netanyahu raised the matter in his meetings this week with Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, and sought their help, the TV report said. (Berman & Times of Israel, n.d.)
In February, a delegation of relatives of hostages being held by Hamas filed a war crimes complaint with the ICC against the terrorist organization’s leaders. The accusations in the filing included kidnapping, crimes of sexual violence, torture and other serious allegations.
The court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, visited Israel in December on an official trip, as Israel does not consider itself bound by the ICC. After touring some of the towns attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and hearing testimonies from survivors, Khan said he had witnessed “scenes of calculated cruelty” and that it was clear to him the victims had been targeted because of their identities.
He also said he felt duty-bound to work with the court’s prosecutors to open investigations into Hamas’s actions on October 7. (Berman & Times of Israel, n.d.)
Professor Yuval Noah Harari summarizes the situation in which Israel finds itself.
When after October 7, Netanyahu had to decide on the aims of the war, no wonder that security was again placed too low on the list of priorities. Israel obviously had to enter Gaza to disarm Hamas. But the war's long-term aim should have been to create a stable regional order that would keep Israelis safe for years. Such an order could be created only by strengthening the alliance between Israel and the Western democracies, and deepening cooperation with moderate Arab forces. Instead of cultivating these alliances and partnerships, the war aim Netanyahu chose was blind revenge. Like the eyeless Samson in the biblical Book of Judges, Netanyahu chose to collapse the roofs of Gaza on everyone's heads – Palestinians and Israelis – just to exact revenge. (Harari, n.d.)
After a series of airstrikes by the IDF forces of Israel that resulted in the death of seven aid workers of the World Central Kitchen threatened to widen a rift between Biden and Netanyahu, the decisions that Netanyahu may take, about attacking Rafah, may risk even more damage to the willingness of the United States, United Kingdom and G7 countries to support Israel in world assemblies and world public opinion forums.
References
Berman, L., & Times of Israel. (n.d.). Netanyahu’s office hosts emergency talks on feared ICC warrants for PM, ministers. Times of Israel. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahus-office-hosts-emergency-talks-on-feared-icc-warrants-for-pm-ministers/
Harari, Y. N. (n.d.). From Gaza to Iran, the Netanyahu Government Is Endangering Israel's Survival. Haaretz. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-04-18/ty-article-magazine/from-gaza-to-iran-the-netanyahu-government-is-endangering-israels-survival/
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