‘Israel is not a protectorate of the US but rather an independent and democratic country whose citizens are the ones who elect the government.’
By Vered Weiss, World Israel News
A senior Israeli official responded sharply to a U.S. intelligence report saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in “jeopardy” and predicting Israel would have trouble destroying Hamas.
“We expect our friends to work to bring down the terror regime of Hamas and not the elected government in Israel,” the official said in a statement issued to Channel 12.
“Those who elect the prime minister of Israel are the citizens of Israel and no one else.”
“Israel is not a protectorate of the U.S. but rather an independent and democratic country whose citizens are the ones who elect the government.”
The US’s 2024 Annual Threat Assessment predicted the Netanyahu government “may be in jeopardy” citing protests against the Prime Minister over judicial reform before the war and speculating that the Israeli public would increasingly blame Netanyahu for security failures leading to the Hamas invasion on October 7th.
The report said, “Distrust of Netanyahu’s ability to rule has deepened and broadened across the public from its already high levels before the war, and we expect large protests demanding his resignation and new elections.”
The report added, “A different, more moderate government is a possibility.”
In addition, the report expressed skepticism that Israel would fully achieve its goal of destroying Hamas and may face armed struggle for years.
“Israel probably will face lingering armed resistance from Hamas for years to come, and the military will struggle to neutralize Hamas’s underground infrastructure, which allows insurgents to hide, regain strength and surprise Israeli forces,” the report said.
Speaking through live hook-up at an AIPAC conference, Netanyahu emphasized that the IDF needs to operate in Rafah to complete the destruction of Hamas military infrastructure and to win the war despite the objections from the Biden Administration.
He said, “I greatly appreciate the support we received from President Biden and the administration and I hope it continues. But let me be clear – Israel will win this war, no matter what.”