Lions led by donkeys

Yuval Noah Harari analyzes the two major failures of the Netanyahu government: a distorted prioritization before October 7, 2023, and the squandering of military achievements since then without translating them into political gains. Harari argues that Netanyahu focused on the judicial overhaul over the security threat, ignored repeated warnings from the security establishment, and that the government failed to translate battlefield victories into sustainable political achievements.

Yuval Noah Harari analyzes in an opinion piece the two major failures of the Netanyahu government. The first failure, he says, is a distorted prioritization in the months leading up to October 7, 2023. Harari claims that Netanyahu chose to focus on the judicial system and the judicial overhaul instead of the existential security threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. He describes how heads of the security establishment, including Defense Minister Gallant, the Chief of Staff, and the Shin Bet director, warned Netanyahu repeatedly about the danger, but Netanyahu ignored them. Harari notes the 'Gallant Night' in March 2023, four intelligence letters, a public letter from retired senior officials, and a direct warning from Shin Bet director Ronen Bar about the risk of war – all were dismissed. The second failure, he says, began on October 7 and continues to this day: security forces achieved impressive military successes such as the pager operation and the elimination of Hezbollah's top leadership, but the government did not translate them into political achievements. Hamas still controls Gaza, Hezbollah is recovering, and Israel suffers from international isolation. Harari calls to seize the opportunity on October 27 to 'get rid of the donkeys.'

Lions led by donkeys