Israel At War – Day 104

Growing Attacks On Netanyahu

No Peace With Netanyahu In Charge

You’ve heard of all the things that could allow peace between Israel and Palestinians, but now the United States is in a war of words with Prime Minister Netanyahu strongly suggesting that he is the roadblock to it as we read in an article from The Times Of Israel:

“There is no way to solve [Israel’s] long-term challenges to provide lasting security, and there is no way to solve the short-term challenges of rebuilding Gaza, of establishing governance in Gaza and of providing security for Gaza, without the establishment of a Palestinian state,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller says upon being asked to respond to Netanyahu at a press briefing.

In that interview Netanyahu was asked to respond to a report that the US was working with Israel after he was gone from office:

Roughly an hour earlier, Netanyahu had been asked to respond to an NBC News report that said the US was planning for a post-Netanyahu era after he rejected a proposal that would’ve seen Saudi Arabia help with the reconstruction of Gaza after the war and normalize relations with Israel if Jerusalem agreed to create a pathway for an eventual Palestinian state.

Netanyahu boasted of having stood up to American pressure in the past and said those who speak of a post-Netanyahu era are referring to one in which a Palestinian state will be established, again suggesting that his continued tenure as prime minister is what is standing in the way of a two-state solution.

Miller went on to make it clear that the potential agreement with Saudi Arabia where they would help in rebuilding Gaza if a Palestinian-led government had a plan for becoming a state was a part could work but that the Prime Minister is in the way:

“For the first time in its history, you see the countries in the region who are ready to step up and further integrate with Israel and provide real security assurances to Israel and the United States is ready to play its part too, but they all have to have a willing partner on the other side,” Miller continues.

Internal Calls For Elections

As if Netanyahu has enough to deal with, leaders inside of the war cabinet are pushing for elections, no doubt to oust him while the war rages. We read more on this from an article in The Times Of Israel:

War cabinet minister Gadi Eisenkot says elections should be held in the coming months in order to renew the public’s trust in its leadership.

The comments made in an interview he conducted several weeks ago with Channel 12’s Uvda investigative program air hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the idea of holding elections in the middle of a war that he has said could well continue into 2025.

“It is necessary, within a period of months, to return the Israeli voter to the polls and hold elections in order to renew trust because right now there is no trust,” says Eisenkot, whose son was killed fighting in Gaza last month.

Such a move would likely see Netanyahu elected again as his approval ratings rose after the assassination of Hamas leaders in Beirut. But Eisenkot’s logic is seen here:

Eisenkot’s National Unity party agreed to join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition on an emergency basis in a demonstration of political unity after the October 7 terror onslaught.

“As a democracy, the state of Israel needs to ask itself after such a serious event, ‘How do we continue from here with a leadership that has failed us miserably?'” Eisenkot continues.

“The public’s lack of trust in their government is a bigger problem than holding elections in the middle of a war,” Eisenkot says.

I certainly understand the disappointment and frustration of those who have lost loved ones and those who have relatives held hostage to want to blame the government, but changing those in charge in the middle of a war is not a good way to get things done about it. In fact, to Hamas and other terrorists it will show weakness and inspire them to attack even more. A united front is what is needed now. Save the politics for later Mr. Eisenkot.

Attacks From The Press

In the same press conference noted earlier, Netanyahu fields a variety of questions, many questioning his actions since the war started. Here is what was asked and how he answered as seen in a report from The Times Of Israel:

Netanyahu is asked if he feels he has anything to apologize for regarding the events surrounding October 7. He says the way the question was framed is designed “to stain” him.

“Nobody is immune from mistakes, including me,” he says, but then again criticizes the reporter. “I’ll continue to fight Hamas, and you’ll continue to fight me,” he says. “That’s the division of work,” he says, between him and the TV studios.

The Prime Minister also addressed questions about Iran:

In response to another reporter, who asks why Israel is sufficing with attacks on Iran’s proxies rather than attacking Iran directly, Netanyahu responds, “Who says we aren’t attacking Iran? We are attacking Iran.”

“Iran has further phases to go through that I won’t detail” on the path to nuclear weapons,” he says. “I am obligated as the prime minister of Israel to do everything to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons.”

Asked about the progress of the war, He said this:

Asked about the progress of the war, he says 16 or 17 of Hamas’s 24 battalions have been destroyed. “After that, there is the [phase] of clearing the territory [of remaining gunmen]. The first action is usually shorter, the second usually takes longer.”

Netanyahu gave his thoughts on asking for elections next:

He derides talk of holding elections at a time of war — with campaigns that would “divide the people rather than uniting the people… Are people seriously suggesting elections?”

“There’ll be time for politics after the war,” he says.

The current emergency war coalition is stable and should be maintained, he says.

“Going to elections would be irresponsible and would badly halt the war effort,” he says.

“The ones who are hoping for this, and for all the other things we hear in the TV studios night after night, are Hamas and also its backer Iran. We won’t give this to them. We will bring complete victory.”

A Bigger War Is Being Fought

Yes, it is important that terrorists are defeated for Israel and the rest of the world, but the battle over souls is also raging. One Christian sees God moving now, but also after the conflict ends as we see in an article found on CBN.com:

A former Palestinian sniper turned Christian believes revival will break out in Gaza and thousands will come to Christ after the end of the Israel-Hamas war.

Taysir "Tass" Abu Saada, a former aide to the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, recently told CBN News' Global Lane that God's Holy Spirit is already changing Palestinian hearts through dreams and visions.

"Many Muslims are looking for an alternative to Islam," he said. "My team is, naturally, sharing Christ. So we are looking at a good revival going on already in the Gaza Strip."

Saada sees God working through war, though:

"Despite the destruction that is taking place, I believe God has a purpose to get the Palestinians in Gaza (to) wake up and look at a different alternative to what they believe," he explained.

Saada said he believes hearts are turning to Jesus and confirmed a report late last year that hundreds of Gazans encountered Jesus in their sleep.

"I have a report from one of my team members that 200 Gazans gave their heart to Jesus in one lump sum," Saada expressed. "The Lord appeared to them in visions and dreams and they were hugging each other and rejoicing. [They] realized all of them had the same vision that each one of them had."

"Obviously, the Lord is doing His work and the believers in the land are doing their work," he added.

Which is a good place to pray for the peace of Jerusalem once again and in particular these Gazans who are caught in the crossfire. Only God can deradicalize them and help them to live side by side with Jews. More importantly, living with God inside of them will bring eternal peace to them.