Netanyahu's Iran strategy serves domestic politics but undermines Israel's long-term security
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/aluf-benn. "The chaos of a failed state in Iran would be a perfectly acceptable outcome for Netanyahu | Aluf Benn | The Guardian." March 7, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
The author argues that Netanyahu is using the war with Iran mainly for his own political benefit, not Israel's real security. While this aggressive approach might look good to Israeli voters, it actually makes Israel less safe in the long run because it avoids making peace with Palestinians and neighbors, which is what Israel really needs for lasting security.
Conclusion
Netanyahu's aggressive approach toward Iran, while politically beneficial domestically, ultimately undermines Israel's long-term security and prevents the peaceful resolution of regional conflicts that would provide genuine safety
Premises
- Netanyahu has used the Iranian threat as justification to oppose territorial concessions and maintain occupation of Palestinian territories
- The October 7th attacks demonstrated that ignoring Palestinian grievances while relying solely on military deterrence carries inevitable risks of violent explosions
- Netanyahu's current war against Iran serves his personal political interests, including diverting attention from his corruption trial and upcoming re-election campaign
- A chaotic failed state in Iran would be acceptable to Netanyahu because it would justify his land-grabbing and autocracy-building projects
- Israel's unprecedented military strength should be used to achieve Rabin's vision of a 'ring of peace' through recognized borders and Palestinian independence
- Military power and American backing alone cannot provide lasting security while conflicts with neighbors remain unresolved
Assumptions
- Rabin's peace-through-territorial-concessions strategy was the correct approach to regional security
- Netanyahu's motivations are primarily driven by personal political gain rather than genuine security concerns
- Palestinian grievances are legitimate and ignoring them inevitably leads to violence
- A peaceful resolution with Palestinians and neighbors is both possible and preferable to military dominance
- Israel's current military strength provides a unique opportunity for peace negotiations