In recent days, Israel has been conducting a complex game in the international arena, where, quite predictably, many countries that have not demanded a cease-fire from Hezbollah in the past 11 months in which it has fired at the Galilee as it wished without any justification or cause, are now demanding that Israel stop its attacks in Lebanon in order to prevent “escalation.” This is not a new phenomenon, and history learners will see that in each and every one of Israel’s wars, international pressure was a significant factor that our country had to take into account.
Now that the northern front is turning into the third Lebanon war with every passing day, and while Israel is carrying out hundreds of attacks every day that severely damage the capabilities of the terrorist organization, it is necessary to deal with this international pressure through a complex game. Yesterday, the US announcements suggested that Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to a 3-week cease-fire with Hezbollah for negotiations in which a permanent agreement to end the war would be reached. But in practice, Netanyahu denied these announcements during the day, and the Air Force continued to carry out extensive attacks. Has Netanyahu changed his position due to domestic pressure, when many members of the coalition expressed opposition to the move? Or was this part of the game that Netanyahu had to play in the international arena, in order to stall and maintain Israeli legitimacy?
Netanyahu landed in New York a few hours ago, and is expected to speak today at evening (9:30, local time, 16:30, Israel time) at the UN General Assembly. Netanyahu is expected to deliver a speech that will clarify to the world, and hopefully to the Israeli public, the goals of the current war and the circumstances behind Israel’s actions. The content of Netanyahu’s speech remains secret, but due to the importance of the event, it can be assumed that it will include some kind of catch-phrase or stunt, which will make the speech one of the most memorable and important in his career. There is no doubt that in the country, on the right and left, Israeli citizens keep their fingers crossed for Netanyahu and hope that his speech will give Israel some of the necessary operating space to achieve our goals in the war.
