How Israel made Trump's Iran betrayal inevitable - comment | Jerusalem Post (IL) | 01KV990MXP9TVH0F3W7DBYHK43

The question of whether Israel's military operations since October 7, 2023, have been purely defensive is raised, prompting a re-evaluation of the nation's strategic approach. The author contends that Israel's decades-long policy of "mowing the grass", managing threats like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis by cutting them back to a manageable level, has proven to be an expensive and ultimately unsustainable strategy. This approach, characterized by predictable cycles of conflict and a focus on immediate containment rather than addressing the underlying conditions that foster extremism, is presented as a fundamental policy failing.

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Finish the job.

This doctrine, while perhaps appearing defensive in its tactical execution, has led to predictable outcomes and ongoing casualties. The article suggests that even Israel's allies, like former U.S. President Donald Trump, recognized the economic and strategic unsustainability of such perpetual conflict. Trump's administration, despite being a close ally, balked at the prospect of an endless war, highlighting the international perception of Israel's strategy as potentially irrational.

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Red alert sirens sounded in Gaza border communities. "The Iron Dome intercepted X projectiles." "X landed in an open area." "MDA reports X in critical condition." "X killed."

The piece further argues that Israel has consistently focused on only one half of the problem, neglecting the crucial diplomatic and societal dimensions necessary to truly resolve conflicts. For instance, concerning Iran's nuclear program, the author posits that simply striking facilities offers only a temporary setback, requiring a robust diplomatic strategy to truly dismantle it. The article criticizes the lack of deep plans to engage diplomatically, drain extremism from Palestinian society, or resolve terrorism emanating from the West Bank, framing these as bandages on deeper, unaddressed infections.

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You cut the threat back to a manageable height and you wait for it to grow again.

Ultimately, the author implies that Israel's approach has been too surface-level, failing to address the root causes of the conflicts it faces. The piece suggests that a more comprehensive strategy, integrating diplomacy and societal engagement alongside military action, is necessary to achieve lasting security, particularly in dealing with adversaries like Iran.

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Say what you want about Donald Trump, and there is plenty to say, but even he, the closest thing Israel has to a friend in the world, looked at an endless, economy-cratering war and had no stomach for it.