In his lengthy arguments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to dismiss the corruption charges against him while attempting to justify his inability to secure the release of hostages in Gaza through force.
Meanwhile, Israeli citizens seek refuge in shelters and complain of sirens that have not stopped since the onset of the war. Netanyahu has framed this ongoing conflict in grandiose terms, invoking concepts such as “absolute victory,” the “resurrection of Israel,” and a transformative reordering of the Middle East to crush Israel’s adversaries.
While the catastrophic toll of Israel’s military actions -- marked by occupation, destruction, and loss of life in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen -- cannot be understated, Netanyahu’s narrative of dominance presents a distorted picture. Contrary to claims of the region succumbing to Israeli hegemony, the situation reveals a different truth: Israel, strained by a prolonged conflict, is navigating a sea of growing hostility.
The war, the longest Israel has waged since its establishment, has drained US weapon stockpiles and has been sustained by repeated US vetoes at the United Nations. Amid escalating international scrutiny, Israeli leaders face war crime charges in international courts, while domestic industries falter, major facilities shut down, and economic migration increases.
Now, discussions among Israeli decision-makers signal plans to escalate the conflict further -- expanding operations to Yemen and preparing for broader confrontations with Iran -- all while failing to secure decisive victories in Gaza, Lebanon, or elsewhere.
What Netanyahu claims as victory is increasingly viewed as a mirage
As Palestinians and Arabs, our losses have been devastating -- we have lost countless lives, homes, and territories. Syria stands as a glaring example of the profound cost of war. Yet, Israel’s actions have not solidified its position in the region. Instead, the nation now swims in turbulent waters of mounting hostility, eroding the fleeting perception of Israel as a “normal” and “secure” state in the Middle East.
Israel’s aggressive actions have bred resentment among hundreds of millions whose lands bear the scars of occupation, their homes reduced to rubble, and their families torn apart. The region is now marked by graves and generations forced into loss and despair, living as orphans, widows and disabled individuals.
Netanyahu’s pursuit of absolute victory, with its absolute dependence on US support, has thrown Israel into a firestorm of challenges. The moral, material, political, and psychological costs of this war are escalating continuously. What Netanyahu claims as victory is increasingly viewed as a mirage -- an illusion that obscures the self-destructive trajectory of his policies.
Even within Israel, prominent voices acknowledge this destructive path, not only for Israel’s adversaries but also for itself. They describe Netanyahu and his war-mongering cabinet’s strategies as a form of madness -- fueled further by the expectation of renewed support from Donald Trump once he re-enters the White House.
Yousef Ramadan is the Ambassador of Palestine to Bangladesh.
