[Previous Acting President: Iran Is Not an Existential Threat to Israel, Netanyahu Gained Nothing from the War]
Avraham Burg, former acting president and former Speaker of the Knesset of Israel, said in an exclusive interview that recent military actions by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, followed by the announcement of a ceasefire agreement, exposed deep political conflicts between U.S. President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Burg analyzed that Trump’s interest lies in ending the conflict as quickly as possible to avoid negative impacts on the upcoming U.S. midterm elections. He stated: “This should have been a very brief military operation.”
However, Netanyahu “must prolong the conflict as much as possible, because he wants to run for election under wartime conditions.” Burg pointed out that Israeli citizens typically unite around the government during times of war. It is reported that the next Israeli parliamentary election is scheduled for late October.
Yet, the former Knesset Speaker believes Netanyahu’s political gamble has backfired. “At this point, Netanyahu has gained no political benefit from this military action—he may have already lost significantly,” Burg said, predicting that “the next election will show that Israelis have had enough of his manipulation, tricks, and deceit, and his government now has only a few months left.”
Burg also rejected the claim that this war is essential for Israel’s survival, stating: “Iran is not an existential threat to Israel—it is a practical issue that can be resolved through diplomacy, agreements, and different mechanisms of balance and checks and balances.” He also dismissed speculation that Netanyahu might use nuclear weapons to maintain power, calling it unthinkable.
Regarding the ceasefire agreement, Burg described Trump’s unilateral move as a “divorce” with Israel, concluding that the only clear winner in this conflict was Iran, which “suffered heavy blows but survived—thus, it won.”
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1862457586107395/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.