The time has come for a reckoning | Zaki Shalom

Zaki Shalom argues that Israel is waging a prolonged war while ignoring the dimension of time, despite military achievements in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. The decision is far off, dependence on the US has increased, and the strategic cost is accumulating. The article asks why the Iranian threat remains unresolved and warns of changing political circumstances.

Zaki Shalom argues in an opinion piece that Israel has been waging a prolonged war since October 7, 2023, while ignoring the dimension of time, which was a central strategic component in the security concept of Ben-Gurion and Dayan. According to him, despite military achievements in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, the decision remains distant, dependence on the US has increased, and the strategic cost continues to accumulate. The article asks why the Iranian threat, defined as existential, remains unresolved, and why Israel's freedom of action is largely dependent on the considerations of the US administration, contrary to the past. It warns of uncertainty surrounding President Trump, including reports of threats on his life and suspicions of Iranian plots against Yair Netanyahu. It further claims that growing opposition in the US to the continuation of the war could reduce Israeli freedom of action. Shalom notes a possible strategic failure in that the government did not ensure that its achievements would become a stable reality before the change in political circumstances. Finally, he emphasizes the growing political power of the Arab public in Israel as a reality that requires a reexamination of the Jewish leadership's relations with Arab citizens.

The time has come for a reckoning | Zaki Shalom