Control-freak Netanyahu offers incoming US president a gift of blood

Though the United States presidential election is now winding down, one of the most charged issues has been the war Israel is waging in Gaza and Lebanon. Indeed, since October 7, 2023, it's fair to say that Israel and its regional war have become a prominent factor for many voters in this race.

In the midst of this election turmoil, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made a long-planned move, dismissing Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. His replacement is Israel Katz, whose Foreign Ministry seat has been handed to his former rival and now ally, Gideon Sa'ar.

Although Gallant cited disagreements over drafting ultra-Orthodox citizens into the military as the reason for his dismissal, the real issue was Netanyahu's determination to remove the last obstacle standing in his way during wartime. In fact, news of Gallant's potential dismissal surfaced as early as September, but the onset of the war in Lebanon had put the matter on hold.

What's more critical than Netanyahu's move itself is its timing. As he pointed out in his statement, "significant gaps emerged between me and Gallant in the management of the war, and these gaps were accompanied by statements and actions that contradicted government and Cabinet decisions."

Notably, this isn't the first time Netanyahu has dismissed Gallant, only to later reverse his decision. This, then, should not be seen merely as an internal matter.

Netanyahu's motivation

Firstly, Netanyahu aims to position himself as the sole point of contact with the US, sending a clear message to the incoming president: you need to convince only me, not Gallant or Knesset member Benny Gantz.

Both of these figures, after all, are well-regarded in Washington. As one senior official in the White House put it, "we were surprised by Gallant's firing; it seems that Netanyahu deliberately chose a time when attention was focused elsewhere."

In short, Netanyahu is consolidating power by surrounding himself with politicians he can more easily control.

Indeed, both new figures serve this purpose well. Katz, who has no notable political achievements, has spent his career in Netanyahu's shadow, known only for social media theatrics filled with poorly generated AI images.

Unlike Gallant, who had a relatively collaborative relationship with the military, Katz presents an opportunity for Netanyahu to control all the levers. Katz's new position will likely amount to little more than a puppet role under Netanyahu's control.

Meanwhile Sa'ar, who is relatively more charismatic than Katz, has essentially been placed in a cabinet "honey trap" of sorts. In Israel, unlike in other countries, the Foreign Ministry lacks the prestige and influence of other posts, such as the Defense Ministry or even the leadership of institutions like Mossad and Shin Bet.

Let's not forget that Netanyahu himself even held this role temporarily at one point. It's highly likely that, at the earliest opportunity—perhaps in a snap election after the war—Netanyahu will hand this position over to someone else.

Regional ambitions

Of course, the primary motivation behind this shakeup is to catch the US off guard and lay the groundwork for policies that would enable Israel to maintain its aggressive stance in the region.

Despite all the crimes that Gallant and Netanyahu committed together and the ongoing genocidal war in Gaza and Lebanon, the former was open to ending the war through a prisoner exchange and had been taking the growing toll on Israel's military into account. In contrast, Netanyahu is fully committed to intensifying the war and prepared for a prolonged occupation in Gaza, Lebanon, and possibly beyond. For this goal, Katz is the ideal pawn.

There will no doubt be those in Western media who frame these appointments as a familiar "slide into authoritarianism" or a "retreat from democracy."

But let's ask: when was Israel ever truly "democratic?" This isn't a matter for the usual political science discourse anymore; it requires an analysis rooted in psychology and history. The region's past is strewn with the ruins of ruthless policies like those Netanyahu relentlessly pursues.

Whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris wins the US election, Israel appears determined to greet its strongest ally with nothing less than the gift of more blood.