3 years after "October 7".. Israel faces contrasting choices
Amman4 min read
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued his rhetoric of warning and intimidation against security threats during the commemoration of the third anniversary of the "October 7" attack, pledging to continue the war on what he described as the "axis of evil," affirming that Hamas will not rule the Gaza Strip again, that Israel will continue to strike Hezbollah, and that it will not allow Iran to threaten it.
Speaking during the commemoration ceremony held on Monday, Netanyahu said that Israel faces "thousands of lethal missiles aimed at our cities and towns, and nuclear bombs aimed at destroying our state and wiping it off the face of the earth," considering the "October 7" attack to be "the starting gun for the Iranian axis' plan to destroy Israel and choke it with a ring of fire."
He added that Israel "will preserve the homeland" and that it will do so "together, Jews and Arabs."
Netanyahu sent a message to the international community, saying that Israel "is waging a war whose necessity is unmatched," adding: "You should be ashamed of your lies, for we are defending you too."
The Israeli opposition was quick to respond to Netanyahu's speech, describing him as a liar and questioning his talk of "nuclear missiles," while opposition leader Yair Lapid accused him of living in the illusion of staying in power in light of the approaching Israeli elections.
In contrast, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, during a ceremony held in West Jerusalem, refrained from explicitly calling for the formation of an official commission of inquiry, but reiterated to Netanyahu the necessity of investigating the circumstances that led to the security failure on "October 7."
Herzog said that there are conclusions that have become known and must be absorbed, foremost among which is "the ban on ignoring warnings and alarming indicators," calling to "look directly at what is happening inside our home."
For his part, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, Eyal Zamir, acknowledged in a military decree that the army "failed in its supreme mission to defend the citizens of the State of Israel," stressing that it is his duty to investigate the events of "October 7" and draw lessons from them, and pledging that the army will not allow its enemies to strengthen their power unchecked.
In parallel with Netanyahu's speech, Avigdor Lieberman, head of the "Yisrael Beiteinu" party and former Foreign Minister, put forward a political document entitled "The End of the Israeli Endgame in the West Bank and Gaza," which includes a vision for redrawing the political and administrative reality in the Palestinian territories, and proposes a path different from the paths rejected by Lieberman.
Lieberman's plan acquires special importance because it comes from a nationalist right-wing figure who is considered one of the most prominent critics of Netanyahu, and it comes at a sensitive timing ahead of the Israeli elections. It is based on the premise that US President Donald Trump will leave the White House after about two and a half years, and that the next US administration, whether Republican or Democratic, will recognize a Palestinian state and push for a Security Council resolution to grant it full membership in the United Nations.
The plan calls for the complete separation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and treating them as two politically and practically separate entities.
Regarding the Gaza Strip, Lieberman believes that "there will be no escape from a total liquidation of Hamas, with its military and civilian arms." As for the West Bank, the plan includes dissolving the Palestinian Authority, completely canceling the Oslo Accords, and imposing Israeli sovereignty over Area "C," which constitutes about 60% of the West Bank's area, while maintaining "Israeli geographic continuity" between the settlement blocs.
The document also includes sharp accusations against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, describing him as a "persistent Holocaust denier" who has not recanted his positions, and accusing him of not condemning the "October 7" attack.
The document claims that the Palestinian Authority, which the Oslo Accords allowed a law enforcement force of about 12,000 armed men, has raised the number of its armed forces to about 60,000.
Netanyahu rushed to attack Lieberman and reject his proposal, accusing him of becoming a "leftist."
The plan contradicts the international position on the legal status of the West Bank, as the West Bank, including Areas "A," "B," and "C," is considered occupied Palestinian land under international law, while the Israeli settlements established on it are considered illegal under international law.
