Former Prime Minister and former IDF Chief of Staff Ehud Barak launched a harsh attack on the government and its leader amid the ongoing fighting and ground operations in Lebanon.
He accused the political leadership of spreading illusions and misleading the Israeli public about achievements against the terrorist organization Hezbollah. According to Barak, the current government has dragged Israel into the most severe political and security situation in its history, while the military is stretched to its limits.
“This is a government that misleads the public; Netanyahu is counting bodies," Barak claimed without evidence. “They didn't kill 800 terrorists, nor 400 terrorists-it's all nonsense. During funerals in Israel, Netanyahu said that we were delivering a crushing blow to Hezbollah. He said that Hezbollah had been pushed back by decades."
Barak added that this is an illusion, arguing that it is impossible to eliminate Hezbollah without conquering Lebanon, a step that he described as entirely impractical.
According to Barak, the flattening of villages and public messaging suggesting a permanent Israeli presence in the area do not weaken Hezbollah. Instead, they grant the organization a more significant role within Lebanon and undermine existing diplomatic opportunities. He argued that every Israeli military operation on Lebanese soil gives Hezbollah greater legitimacy among Lebanese citizens because it is perceived as “the defender of Lebanon."
Barak further stated that Iran and its allies are exerting effective pressure on the American administration. In his view, the only solution is a joint effort involving Israel, the government in Beirut, the Saudis, the French, the Americans, and the Syrians to destroy Hezbollah's legitimacy to possess weapons.
The former prime minister also referred to the history of Israel's presence in the security zone in southern Lebanon and criticized the current motivations for military involvement there.
“There is a deep concern that going there is not connected to practical considerations," Barak said. “The real question regarding the withdrawal from Lebanon is not why it took place in 2000, but why it did not take place 15 years earlier. Hezbollah developed because we were inside Lebanon."
Barak concluded his criticism by asserting that the current government does not understand that war is always a means to achieve a political and diplomatic solution. He added that either Naftali Bennett or Gadi Eisenkot would be far better than Benjamin Netanyahu at leading the country.