What the World Gets Wrong About Israel

Opinion|What the World Gets Wrong About Israel

Since Oct. 7, 2023, from my position both in Israel’s war cabinet and in the opposition, I have watched how some in the West have misinterpreted Israel’s actions in prosecuting its war against Hamas. For Israelis, that day was not another round in a yearslong conflict. It was a strategic rupture — and a reminder of what may happen when terror on our doorstep is underestimated.

Too often, Western leaders view our policies in this war not through the lens of national security, but through the prism of individuals — and, in particular, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The conversation is often framed as a question of what serves the prime minister, as if Israel’s national security begins and ends with one man. This view is mistaken and counterproductive to global stability, regional normalization and Israel’s own security.

There are deep political divisions and disagreements in Israel. I myself have been a vocal critic of Mr. Netanyahu. But the nation’s core security interests are not partisan property. Today more than ever, they are anchored by a national consensus that is rooted in the hard realities of our region. Opposition to the recognition of Palestinian statehood stands at the heart of that consensus. Any path forward for broader Palestinian civil autonomy must first incorporate a proven long-term track record of accountable governance, comprehensive de-radicalization reforms and a successful crackdown on terror elements targeting Israelis.

The growing support in the West for recognition is too often framed as a rebuke of both Mr. Netanyahu and his war policies. More and more states’ recognition of Palestinian statehood is propelled not merely by domestic political pressure, but also appears to be driven in part by personal animosity between leaders. The truth is that international recognition of Palestinian statehood under current conditions is not a rejection of Mr. Netanyahu. It is a rejection of Israel’s bipartisan security consensus.

When Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, the Palestinian Authority was entrusted with the territory’s control. The next year, Hamas won a shocking plurality of seats in the P.A.’s legislative elections, eclipsing its rival faction, Fatah. Hamas violently overthrew Fatah in Gaza the next year, and with help from Iran, Hamas dramatically expanded its military capabilities within Gaza, and ultimately launched the Oct. 7 massacre.

That collapse was not an anomaly; it was the consequence of a Palestinian Authority with little legitimacy among its people and a painful lesson that Israel cannot risk suffering from again in the foreseeable future.