Bush left a note for his successor; Netanyahu leaves scorched earth behind | Dan Perry

Dan Perry compares the noble transfer of power from George H.W. Bush to Bill Clinton with Benjamin Netanyahu's conduct, which he claims leaves scorched earth behind. The article focuses on the incitement campaign against Gadi Eisenkot, the Shin Bet's refusal to provide him with security, and the contrast with the extensive security provided to Netanyahu's family. Perry argues that Netanyahu does not separate the state's interests from his political survival.

Dan Perry opens with a contrast between George H.W. Bush, who left a handwritten note of good wishes for Bill Clinton, and Benjamin Netanyahu, who he claims leaves scorched earth behind. Perry recalls the transition meeting between Netanyahu and Naftali Bennett in 2021, where Netanyahu gave Bennett only half an hour, asked to continue living in the Prime Minister's residence and receive funding for his wife's car, and threatened Bennett with 'all the heavy artillery.' The article focuses on the current incitement campaign against Gadi Eisenkot, the former chief of staff whose son Gal was killed in Gaza. Perry claims that Eisenkot is portrayed as dangerous and weak, and that his willingness to form a coalition with an Arab party is presented as disqualifying. Perry describes the Shin Bet's refusal to provide Eisenkot with armed security, and compares this to the extensive security provided to Netanyahu's family, including his son Yair who lives in Miami. Perry accuses Shin Bet chief David Zini of being a Netanyahu loyalist, and states that the decision not to secure Eisenkot is reckless and dangerous. The article concludes with a call to return to ethical standards where the leader's success is the state's success.