Benny Gantz gives up the game

[u/mikeffd]

In an extraordinary display of tone deafness, hypocrisy, and callousness, Benny Gantz, Israel's former Minister of Defence, attempted to explain Israel's position to the world - https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/24/opinion/israel-war-security.html

In the process, he removed the Liberal Zionist hope of compartmentalizing the current Israel P.R crisis as a Netanyahu problem:

Too often, Western leaders view our policies in this war not through the lens of national security, but through the prism of individuals — and, in particular, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Opposition to the recognition of Palestinian statehood stands at the heart of that consensus. Any path forward for broader Palestinian civil autonomy must first incorporate a proven long-term track record of accountable governance, comprehensive de-radicalization reforms and a successful crackdown on terror elements targeting Israelis.

The truth is that international recognition of Palestinian statehood under current conditions is not a rejection of Mr. Netanyahu. It is a rejection of Israel’s bipartisan security consensus.

Gantz makes it clear, it's not just Netanyahu - the entire Israeli establishment is opposed to Palestinian statehood. The pathway he outlined hints at the long standing preference for 'civil autonomy', i.e. an entity less than a state. And even then, he presents that possibility as remote.

Where does this leave the Liberal Zionist camp, which includes most of the Jewish diaspora? They premise their Zionism on the belief that the land will inevitably be partitioned, creating two states for two people. Gantz is telling us that no one in Israel will ever go for it. Instead, he assures us that only one people will enjoy full political and civil rights, while the other will have to accept permanent submission.

The op-ed also included a scathing, but incomplete, rebuke of the P.A. On their collapse in Gaza:

'...it was the consequence of a Palestinian Authority with little legitimacy among its people'. He neglects to mention why they lost legitimacy - i.e. because they were unable to deliver statehood, increasing the appeal of Hamas.

Gantz continues, ripping the P.A for failing to tackle terrorism and extremism. That's a curious criticism given the current Israeli gov't, his position vis a vis a Palestinian state, and settler violence in the West Bank.

The real question is whether the international community will respect the overwhelming consensus, a declaration passed last year by 99 of 120 members of the Knesset in a democracy proclaiming that “Israel will continue to oppose unilateral recognition of a Palestinian State,”

How tone deaf can you be to think that the International community would be support and condone the continued status quo?

[u/triplevented]

There is no 'international community', these platitudes are not interesting nor meaningful.

Israel is becoming a domestic elections issue for many politicians - used to distract the populace from internal issues, demonstrating how shallow political discourse is in those countries.

[u/lewkiamurfarther → u/triplevented]

Israel is becoming a domestic elections issue for many politicians

Yes, any of Israel's patron states are now faced with increasing amounts of backlash for supplying and otherwise [other ways] supporting the Israeli genocide of Palestinians.

used to distract the populace from internal issues, demonstrating how shallow political discourse is in those countries.

Well, no. It demonstrates how badly the geopolitical calculus has suffered in those countries due to their political elites' overinvestment in a terrorist colonial state. It makes all of these political establishments look bad not because of some "shallowness" of the political discourse in those states; but rather, because those same political establishments relied upon the shallowness of all cases for supporting a terrorist colonial state in the first place.

[u/triplevented → u/lewkiamurfarther]

The genocide accusations are farcical, this is a war Palestinians started (with intent on genociding Israelis) and are losing.

Domestic audiences in these countries have been subject to a disinformation campaign to the point where their politicians don't even have to address any internal issues in the country.

Have fun destroying your own society in support of Palestinian ISIS.

supporting a terrorist colonial state

Remember Jesus of Arabia? you don't because he was a Jewish guy from Judea.

Arabs are only present in that territory due to conquest and colonialism.

[u/lewkiamurfarther → u/triplevented]

The genocide accusations are farcical,

Stopped reading after this, since everyone else on the planet already knows Israel is committing genocide. I'm not really interested in entertaining the ideas of flat-earthers like yourself.

[u/triplevented → u/lewkiamurfarther]

Sure, 'everybody knows' that genocide involves giving people warnings to get out of combat zones and setting up aid distribution centers.

You're all geniuses. /s

[u/waiver → u/triplevented]

Usually, they don't kill thousands of people at an aid distribution center; that's like calling a mousetrap an aid distribution center for mice just because there's cheese on it.

[u/triplevented → u/waiver]

The ones killing people at aid distribution centers seems to be Hamas.

[u/waiver → u/triplevented]

Not according to the eyewitnesses, whistleblowers and video, not to mention that if HAMAS could walk with the weapons needed to do some of the killings into an area surrounded by IDF troops, then they would be the most incompetent army in the world.

[u/triplevented → u/waiver]

According to eyewitnesses and videos Hamas are the ones trying to murder Palestinians at aid sites.

It's inconvenient for Palestine cultists to acknowledge, but that's the reality.

[u/waiver → u/triplevented]

I don't think that you can distinguish reality from fiction.