Can Netanyahu’s strength-first strategy guide Israel through the new Middle East? - analysis

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long championed a "strength-first" ideology, asserting that Israel must remain powerful to survive in the volatile Middle East. This mantra has become a cornerstone of his political philosophy over decades. The central question now is whether this unwavering focus on strength is adequate for Israel to navigate the region's complexities, particularly as Iran and its proxies appear to be weakening.

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Israel’s wars are “never over” and that there is more work to do against Iran and its axis.

Netanyahu has repeatedly articulated this view, stating in one instance that Israel's wars are "never over" and that "If you want to live in the Middle East, and in the world, you must be very strong." He further elaborated on this during a visit to soldiers in Lebanon, asserting, "our insistence is that we will not leave southern Lebanon until the threat is eliminated. And as long as Hezbollah is armed and present here, posing a threat to us, we will remain here."

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It’s never over. If you want to live in the Middle East, and in the world, you must be very strong.

His philosophy was starkly illustrated in a speech to IDF Combat Officers, where he declared, "I do not pretend to be a prophet, but I think I know what determines things in our region, and increasingly in the whole world. The strong survive, there is no room for the weak, they are preyed upon and disappear." This sentiment echoes a post he made on X in 2018: "the weak crumble, are slaughtered and are erased from history while the strong, for good or for ill, survive."

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our insistence is that we will not leave southern Lebanon until the threat is eliminated. And as long as Hezbollah is armed and present here, posing a threat to us, we will remain here.

This ideology appears to be intertwined with Israel's current military doctrine, which has involved significant tactical gains in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon. Despite perceived successes, Israel's leadership continues to view a weakened Iran as an existential threat, with ongoing concerns about its military build-up. The strategy of "mowing the grass" in Gaza, previously employed before October 7, and the "Campaign Between the Wars" in Syria against Iran, suggest a tactic of managing threats rather than definitively defeating them. Netanyahu has also spoken of Israel becoming a "super-Sparta," highlighting a commitment to military prowess.

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I do not pretend to be a prophet, but I think I know what determines things in our region, and increasingly in the whole world. The strong survive, there is no room for the weak, they are preyed upon and disappear.