NETANYAHU VOWS ‘TOTAL VICTORY’ — Despite recent promising signs that a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah may be on the table, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled today that Israel is still on a war footing against Iran and its proxy militias – and may stay there for a long time.
The Israeli leader said the various agreements and proposals to bring an end to the fighting — apparently including a U.S.-pushed Lebanon ceasefire based on the enforcement of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which sought to create a U.N.-backed buffer zone in Southern Lebanon — “all have their place, but they are not the main thing.” The “main thing,” he said, “is our ability and our determination to enforce security, to thwart attacks against us and to act against the arming of our enemies as much as is necessary despite all the pressures and constraints — that is the main thing.”
Netanyahu spoke at the end of an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) combat officers training course, and after a meeting with White House Middle East envoys, and he sounded – again – like a leader with little interest in compromise. Speaking about a three-front war – against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Iran as well – Netanyahu said, “I am not establishing a date for the end of the war, but I am establishing clear goals for victory in the war.” He said the fight against the Iran-backed proxies is guided by a “total victory concept” involving the destruction of Hamas, the return of Israeli hostages in Gaza, and stopping Hezbollah from being able to launch attacks into Northern Israel.
He also hailed last week’s Israeli retaliatory strikes on Iran, saying, “Israel has greater freedom of action in Iran today than ever before. We can reach anywhere in Iran as needed,” and he reiterated Israel’s goal of preventing Iran from a nuclear weapon. “I have not removed, we have not removed and we will not remove our eyes from this goal.” On the one hand, nothing Netanyahu said was an outright rejection of a ceasefire deal; on the other, Netanyahu’s remarks suggest he doesn’t believe Israel’s campaigns against Hamas and Hezbollah are anywhere close to “mission accomplished.”
ON THE CIPHER BRIEF’S RADAR
November 1 / 11:30a / Virtual / What the U.S. Election Means for the Middle East / Hudson Institute
November 4 / 11:30a / Virtual / China in the Middle East / Center for Strategic and International Studies |