From Dubrovnik to Iran: Netanyahu's Political and Diplomatic Strategy

Prof. Moshe Cohen-Eliya analyzes Netanyahu's strategy, which he calls a 'column': dealing with problems sequentially, not in parallel. He describes how Netanyahu applies this logic in politics (the Likud list, the right-wing bloc, the premiership) and in security (Gaza, Lebanon, Iran). The article compares Netanyahu to Eisenkot and warns of the risk that order becomes procrastination.

Prof. Moshe Cohen-Eliya, founder of the research institute 'Masad Ha'aretz', analyzes in an opinion article the political and diplomatic strategy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which he calls the 'column strategy'. According to this analysis, Netanyahu operates in a column rather than in parallel: he handles one problem with concentrated effort, and only then moves to the next stage. The author describes how this logic is expressed in managing the war: first Gaza, then Lebanon, and later Iran. Now, it is applied in politics: in the first stage, Netanyahu is busy with the Likud list until the primaries on August 17, then he will move to the bloc, and finally to the struggle for the premiership. The article presents the bloc model as 'one of Netanyahu's most important political masterstrokes' since 2015, and compares it to the Republican Party in the US. Against Netanyahu stands the leadership concept of Gadi Eisenkot, associated with the old security establishment culture: caution and risk management. The author argues that the upcoming elections are a choice between 'managerial leadership' and 'historical leadership'. He notes that the column strategy may turn into procrastination, and that its test will be in Iran, especially in light of the US elections on November 3. The article ends with the question of whether each station is indeed closed, since 'a stuck column is just a queue'.