Israeli media have launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to renew strikes on Beirut’s southern suburb, calling it a reckless gamble that puts the entire region at risk while delivering no strategic gain.
In an article published by the Israeli newspaper Maariv, journalist Dan Perry questioned the utility of targeting the Dahiyeh district at a time when Israel, he argued, needs coordination with Washington to confront Iran more than ever.
Perry noted that the latest assault contributed nothing and only provoked a direct response: Iranian ballistic missile strikes on northern Israel, along with a tangible threat of wider regional escalation. All this, he wrote, comes as the US president publicly states his desire to bring the current episode to an end.
The article further stated that “any harm to Lebanese civilians or infrastructure without clear justification linked to Hezbollah only strengthens the Resistance’s narrative and helps it present itself again as the defender of the state against Israeli aggression.” Perry added that “the leadership in Jerusalem completely ignores this equation and fails to think two steps ahead, especially given that the current central arena is Iran, not Lebanon.”
Maariv emphasized that talk of Israeli “independence” is a complete illusion. Without the US air bridge, munitions, the veto at the United Nations, and diplomatic protection before European and international institutions, Israel cannot manage a major war for more than a few weeks before running out of ammunition and facing sanctions.
“Israel has maneuvered itself into a corner where it is now required to contain even Iranian strikes and respond to de-escalation efforts because it cannot sustain a wide-scale war without American backing,” Perry wrote.
Diverging political paths for Trump and Netanyahu
The article linked the US stance to domestic pressures on President Trump, including a boiling angry public, rising energy prices, and looming midterm elections. It added that Trump understands a prolonged regional war could turn him into a “lame duck” and cause Republicans to lose control of Congress, opening the door to investigations and potential impeachment attempts.
“Washington is therefore looking for a non-humiliating exit and wants de-escalation, making Israeli insistence on igniting the southern suburb a step that invites direct confrontation and intense, embarrassing American pressure on Israel,” the article continued.
On the domestic political front for 2026, Perry pointed to diverging paths for Trump and Netanyahu. While Trump needs stability, Netanyahu needs to change the political landscape due to his sharp deficit in opinion polls, vast gaps in the surveys, and indicators pointing toward electoral defeat.
Public suspects government of inflaming tensions to delay elections
The report concluded by noting that a significant portion of the Israeli public does not rule out the possibility that the government is deliberately raising the flames and creating a new state of emergency in order to delay elections indifferent to Israelis returning to shelters, the shutdown of schools and air travel, and the waste of billions.
Perry described such thinking, allowing “foreign and personal considerations” to enter war calculations, as a shameful deterioration that Israel has never witnessed under any of its previous historical leaders.
Source: Israeli media (translated and edited by Al-Manar)