Netanyahu’s “forever war” deepens Israel’s isolation and devastates Gaza Article by TRT World

Turkish public broadcaster TRT World has published an article by Avi Shlaim examining how Benjamin Netanyahu has entrenched Israel in a state of perpetual conflict, using war to secure his political survival while escalating regional instability. Caliber.Az presents a reworded version of this article for our readers.

From Gaza to Iran, his sixth government—the most extreme in Israel’s history—has intensified violence, ethnic cleansing, and destruction across the Middle East, 

Netanyahu’s leadership has transformed Israel into a global pariah. At the United Nations General Assembly last month, over a hundred diplomats from fifty countries walked out as he took the stage, leaving the hall nearly deserted.

But Netanyahu was addressing his domestic base and supporters in Washington, including President Donald Trump. Military broadcasts of his speech into Gaza underscored the widening international isolation under his leadership.

The Israeli prime minister faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court in The Hague for war crimes, and he is also indicted at home for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. “As long as he remains in power, he will continue to enjoy immunity from punishment,” notes Professor Avi Shlaim. Netanyahu’s ability to maintain Israel in a permanent state of conflict allows him to avert elections that he might otherwise lose.

His current coalition, formed in December 2022, is dominated by far-right, ultra-nationalist parties. Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, previously convicted for inciting racism, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an advocate of ethnic cleansing in the occupied territories, exemplify the extremism shaping policy. 

The coalition’s official guidelines assert, “The Jewish people have an exclusive and inalienable right to all parts of the Land of Israel,” effectively denying Palestinian self-determination and undermining the feasibility of a two-state solution.

Netanyahu’s policies have moved beyond mere denial of Palestinian independence. He has systematically targeted Gaza with unprecedented force. Conservative estimates indicate that in the past two years, Israeli attacks have killed 66,414 people, mostly women and children, injured at least 163,859, and damaged or destroyed 92 per cent of residential buildings.

Hospitals, schools, and universities have been systematically destroyed, resulting in medicide and scholasticide. Save the Children reports that more than 20,000 children have been killed and at least 40,000 orphaned.

“The prime minister is not acting in the national interest; he is acting purely for self-preservation. Every other argument is a smokescreen,” former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has said, describing Netanyahu’s motivations. Scholars like Omer Bartov argue Israel’s tactics in Gaza constitute genocide, citing systematic starvation, mass killings, and destruction of infrastructure.

Netanyahu’s ambitions extend beyond Gaza. Israel has attacked Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Iran, including its nuclear facilities, often in coordination with the United States. These operations have fueled cycles of retaliation, undermined regional stability, and prompted widespread international condemnation.

Under Netanyahu, Israel’s moral and political trajectory has shifted dramatically. “Today, it is the people of Gaza who are the defenceless victims of the Jewish state,” Shlaim observes. Critics warn that continued aggression not only imperils Palestinians but also exposes Jewish communities worldwide to increased anti-Semitism.

Netanyahu’s “forever war,” initially a mechanism for political survival, now threatens the long-term security and ethical standing of Israel itself.

Editor's note: The author of this article, Avi Shlaim is an emeritus professor of international relations at the University of Oxford and the author of Genocide in Gaza: Israel’s Long War on Palestine