Netanyahu is buying time to continue his war

With electoral and interest calculations that may live up to strategy, US President Joe Biden launched his seemingly surprising initiative to stop the war in Gaza, promising a new political attempt to address the mother issue in the region and revive international efforts to resolve it.

The world was quick to welcome the initiative, and the fighting Hamas movement on the ground responded positively. In contrast, Netanyahu, who formulated much of the initiative based on his accumulated positions available to the mediators, expressed reserved support and remained equally conservative in his explicit rejection. He fears contradicting most of the Israeli military leaders that Biden participated in its production, and he is not able to fully endorse it,  fearing the collapse of his government after threats from its safety valves to withdraw if he did.

Netanyahu adopted a "yes and no" stance on the Biden initiative. This phrase provides him with a fair amount of room for movement, allowing him to continue the war while claiming he was studying the initiative and would discuss it with its originator. By the time he reaches a final decision, he will have gained valuable time to pursue what he described as an absolute victory.

• The US protects Israel even against its own interests

He is aware of the impossibility of achieving this victory with his specifications, but his use of this impossible term helps calm his allies, reassure his constituents, and occupy his internal opponents.

This is Netanyahu, whose war and its heavy losses have not changed, and his addiction to the position of prime minister persists even if the war continues indefinitely. A man like this plays his authoritarian games without any pretence. The immediate danger remains not only to the US effort to end the war in Gaza but to every effort that does not guarantee him a lifetime as Israel’s prime minister.

He is closely watching developments in Washington, from the White House to Congress to the State Department to the Pentagon. He chose to keep Biden busy, hoping he will fail, and bets on Trump's success. Amidst all these bets, his war continues, even if it requires a limited and temporary truce.