Through the terror assault that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has called a “wave” combined with the riots on the Temple Mount, the Palestinians are launching a diplomatic offensive, and Israel is losing.
Less than two weeks ago, a Palestinian terrorist from Jenin murdered three Israelis at a bar in Tel Aviv. After the terrorist was eliminated, the events were described as follows in a typical headline in The Guardian: “Israeli forces kill Palestinian after Tel Aviv shooting leaves two dead.”
This is no less than an inversion of the truth. The events on the Temple Mount are seen in conflicting ways by Israelis and Muslims. It is a complete inversion of who is the aggressor and who is the victim when the police, trying to restore order in Jerusalem, are presented as the aggressor.
No matter how much the government of Israel tries to exercise restraint and bends backward in its attempt to deal with the Palestinian terror assault solely through defensive means, in the end, it pays the price in the diplomatic arena. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett are not prepared for a diplomatic campaign based on conflict. The backlash from the Sunni Arab states is not a surprise. The crisis created in the wake of events, especially vis-à-vis the United Arab Emirates, can be compared to a low-grade earthquake – so they won’t take part in the Independence Day flyover. The more concerning thing is that through the terror assault that Prime Minister Bennett has called a “wave of terror” – as if it were another Omicron wave – together with the riots on the Temple Mount and the assaults on Jews going to pray in the Old City, the Palestinians are able to launch a diplomatic offensive.
Bennett and his colleagues are approaching the moment of truth. There was once a process that was dubbed the “Meretzification of Rabin.” It was a complete tragedy. Now, to paraphrase Marx, the tragedy is upon us, namely, the “Meretzification of Bennett.” In his responses to several tweets from the Likud, Bennett appeared as someone who has remained a propaganda artist and not risen to the level of leader and statesman. The violent pressure from the Palestinian street, together with American political pressure and soon, perhaps, Russian pressure, are pushing the collapsing government toward a diplomatic channel.
Jordan is behaving in the most hypocritical manner, as usual. Attempts to smooth things over have not helped. King Abdullah pockets the generous Israeli deposits handed over by Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Prime Minister Bennett and then reverts to character with incessant attacks. At first, Israel’s water allocation to Jordan was doubled. That didn’t change the king’s attitude toward Israel – the weak smell weakness.
But what is unpleasantly surprising is the response of the United States, led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Instead of the United States having the back of the Israeli government, which is trying to restore law, Blinken attacks the “violence of the settlers” and the entry of IDF forces into Area A.
In line with the demands of PA President Mahmoud Abbas, the reopening of the American Consulate in Jerusalem has returned to the agenda. The Americans and the Palestinians are talking about a “diplomatic horizon.” Russia, which is under siege in the international arena, will soon show that it hasn’t forgotten how to use the Palestinian card to gain legitimacy and perhaps cause a split in the West.
Israel is always the “bad guy” in the eyes of the World. No point worrying about it. Israel should act in its own interest.