Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees himself as alone in the battlefield, sources told Maariv.
- “He gives the impression of a person who handles things in a clear-headed fashion, but he does not rely on anyone, and sees himself as one who is standing alone on the battlefield, checking everything a number of times before making a decision,” said the source, who is not among Netanyahu’s supporters.
- According to the source, Netanyahu does not have faith in the heads of Israel’s security system who failed to warn him of the impending threat that Hamas prepared for over two years: “The Shin Bet chief, the IDF Chief of Staff, and the intelligence chief were not appointed by Netanyahu, and so even before the tragedy of October 7, his faith in them was low, and now it’s even lower.”
- Regarding the reports that Israel is delaying a ground invasion of Gaza, the source said, “What is important to understand, and this comes up in every discussion is that there is no choice but to enter Gaza. The critical factor is the timing, and that is exactly the job of the Prime Minister and the war cabinet – to make the correct decision about the timing, and it will come very soon.”
- “There are those who say that the demand for immediate action on the ground stems from a desire on the part of sources in the IDF and defense echelon to take revenge on Hamas for the Simchat Torah tragedy. Netanyahu, on the other hand, even today seems as though he is handling things with a clear head.”
The sources also said that Netanyahu often asks advice from external advisers: Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, and former National Security Council chairman Yaakov Amidror. He also met with retired IDF general Yitzhak Brick, who warned of an invasion and massacre months ago and claimed the IDF was relying too much on technology, and was dismissed as delusional by the defense establishment.
Source: Arutz Sheva
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