Prof. Aryeh Katsovich: "Mr. Abandonment", a bad leader, and a failed statesman

Prof. Aryeh Katsovich publishes a sharply critical article against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he calls 'Mr. Abandonment', 'a bad leader', and 'a failed statesman'. The article describes a series of failures attributed to Netanyahu, including handling of hostages, management of the war in Gaza, and fostering Hamas at the expense of the Palestinian Authority.

Prof. Aryeh Katsovich, a lecturer in international relations at the Hebrew University, publishes a sharply critical article against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The article, written against the backdrop of a book edited by the Forum of Life, accuses Netanyahu of severe leadership failure, focusing on the handling of hostages and the management of the war in Gaza. Katsovich describes a series of failed decisions: agreeing to a hostage deal in May 2024 and backtracking under pressure from Smotrich and Ben Gvir; sabotaging negotiations after the presentation of the Biden outline; violating the ceasefire in March 2025 and returning to fighting while abandoning the hostages; and a failed attack on the Hamas negotiation delegation in Doha in September 2025. The article claims that Netanyahu never took responsibility for his failures, including the submarine affair, the Meron disaster, and October 7. It further alleges that his leadership was based on fear and hatred, and that he preferred to foster Hamas over negotiating with the Palestinian Authority. The article notes that Israel has become a pariah state with nearly a hundred types of sanctions from over 50 countries.