Israel’s Security Needs Less Shooting, More Talking
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can’t rely on military might alone to achieve security for his nation.
Photographer: Abir Sultan/AFP/Getty Images
Nominally, Israel is abiding by a truce in Gaza and is poised to begin a second phase that includes talks on a wider political settlement. To the north, it’s agreed to a ceasefire and negotiations in Lebanon, which should give space for a new government in Beirut to deal with Hezbollah. To the east, it’s also in talks with a new leader of Syria who — for the first time in decades — is not in cahoots with Tehran. In every case, however, the operative word here is “nominally.”
In reality, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to rely on military dominance as he tries to eliminate all perceived current or future threats. That goes for the West Bank, too, where an aggressive expansion of Jewish settlements is in full flow.