Much will still be written and said about Israel’s successful strike in Iran. Even fifty years from now, historians will speak of the brilliant planning, the surprise, daring, precision, and flawless execution against an enemy that openly threatened Israel’s annihilation and took steps toward that end. According to the Chief of Staff, the significant blow to Iran’s nuclear project not only eliminated an existential threat to Israel but also positioned it morally as a force standing against absolute evil, fighting what is essentially the Western world's battle for freedom and peace.
Beyond the accolades for Mossad, intelligence agents, and the Air Force for their phenomenal professionalism, credit is due to the leader at the helm—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. His resolve, oversight, diplomatic deception, close coordination with the US, and ability to garner domestic and international legitimacy—these enabled Israel, in one of its most critical hours, to thwart the malicious plan to destroy it.
Repeatedly mocked by his rivals, who dismissed his warnings, Netanyahu rose to the occasion with extraordinary leadership. From the great trauma of October 7, he rediscovered himself and his moral compass. That dark day instilled in him a deep determination, and he seized—perhaps even created—the historical moment to transform the Middle East and secure the Jewish people’s existence.
With strategic finesse, Netanyahu moved pieces on the Middle Eastern chessboard, removing obstacles and relentlessly pursuing his goals.
A strategic shift
Let us revisit one defining moment of the recent war, now almost forgotten in the torrent of events. In September 2024, Israel’s government faced immense pressure, domestic and international, to halt fighting in the south and withdraw from Gaza. Proponents claimed this would lead to a northern ceasefire and the release of hostages. Netanyahu resisted those pressures—and the rest is history. Through a sequence of events, Israel reversed its strategic standing in the region. What began with jamming enemy communications moved through the liquidation of Nasrallah, a major blow to Iran, and culminated in the fall of Assad’s regime in Syria, including the complete destruction of the Syrian Air Force and Assad’s arms stockpiles. Israel dismantled the Shiite axis Iran had painstakingly built over decades and billions of dollars, meant to wear down and destroy Israel. The stranglehold was broken from both north and south, and Israel dramatically restored its deterrence. Some have described the blow to the hostile Shiite axis as Israel’s most significant military and diplomatic action since the Six-Day War.
Israel’s military operations received global praise; the British Telegraph even declared, “Israel has the most impressive army in the world.” Similar admiration came from Arab countries—not officially, but as a reflection of genuine public sentiment in the Sunni world. While Israelis, immersed in their often bleak media, may be unaware, there is great admiration across the Arab world for Israel’s capabilities and boldness. Netanyahu has even become a hero in the anti-Iranian Arab sphere. Particularly striking was graffiti in Tehran that read, “There is no place for antisemitism in Iran’s future,” with the hashtag #IsraelBomb and a Star of David.
Above all, breaking the Shiite axis paved the way for the Iran strike.
Now imagine what might have happened had Netanyahu yielded to pressure from the U.S., France, the UN, or domestic critics? Had he feared the British embargo? What would the Middle East’s strategic balance look like, and what might have happened to Israel’s deterrent power?
Stopping Terror
Over his four decades in Israeli politics, since being appointed to Washington by Moshe Arens in 1982, many have tried to decode Netanyahu’s persona and motivations. While balanced biographies exist, Netanyahu has endured an unprecedented smear campaign aimed at diminishing his historic stature. Much of the media portrayed him negatively, blending gossip bordering on slander with trivial distractions. Some labeled him an authoritarian populist obsessed with political survival. That view missed not only an ideological and intellectual dimension but also a profound historical dialogue.
The failure to distinguish between opinions and facts, which has become a permanent feature of the Israeli media, also misses the dialogue that Netanyahu conducts with the unique Jewish historical experience.
A careful study of Netanyahu’s foreign policy reveals a nuanced, strategic outlook. He was deeply influenced by his historian father, who viewed the Jewish people’s history as tragically marked by its failure to recognize and respond to looming dangers. In his book on Jewish-Spanish statesman Don Isaac Abravanel, Netanyahu’s father highlighted both his brilliance and his fatal naivety in trusting King Ferdinand before the expulsion from Spain—a mistake he likened to German Jews’ blindness to Nazism.
Netanyahu the son drew broad lessons from the Holocaust—not only Jewish ones but universal. In his 2015 address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress, he turned to Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel and said:
“Your life and work inspire the meaning of the words ‘Never Again.’ I wish I could promise you, Elie, that the world has learned the lessons of the Holocaust. I can only urge world leaders not to repeat the mistakes of history. Do not sacrifice the future for the sake of the present. Do not ignore aggression, hoping for a deceptive peace. But I can promise you this: The days when the Jewish people stood defenseless against those seeking genocide—days are over.”
Netanyahu has also followed and modernized Jabotinsky’s “Iron Wall” doctrine. On the recent anniversary of Jabotinsky’s death, he said:
“The fundamental principles of Jabotinsky’s teachings, forged between the world wars, still guide us. But since the monstrous terror attack of October 7, we are updating those principles. Alongside military strength, we now adopt Jabotinsky’s ‘doctrine of pressure.’ Relations between nations are largely shaped by their interests. Facing one side’s interest, we must assert our own. Facing diplomatic pressure, we must apply counter-pressure.”
A sense of historical mission
True, nothing can erase the grave failure of October 7 or the kidnapping of citizens to Gaza, where 50 remain in captivity. Even if the prime minister bears only ministerial responsibility, the incident occurred on his watch, and he ultimately bears responsibility for the security of both the state and its citizens.
Netanyahu understands this and has responded with a determination to seize the opportunity to reshape the Middle East.
Of course, Netanyahu is not flawless—no more than Herzl, Weizmann, or Ben-Gurion were. But even his opponents admit his talent, eloquence, and political acumen. Most significantly—an element overlooked by journalists and pundits—is his deep sense of historical mission. It is not megalomania, nor a lust for power, but an inner conviction.
As President John F. Kennedy said in his legendary inaugural address: “History will be the final judge of our deeds.”
So, how will Netanyahu be remembered? As his many critics portray him, or as his many supporters do? It’s too early to say—history has its ironies. Israeli prime ministers who once scorned on their political exits are now reassessed in a different light.
Indeed, Netanyahu is now fighting to preserve and reshape his legacy. However, if a future historian examines the data, they will see that in mid-2025, Israel’s population surpassed ten million, making it the world’s largest Jewish center. About 183,000 babies were born in 2024. Even during wartime, immigration continues—thousands of Jews from around the world, including a full flight from France, recently landed in Israel. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, by the next decade, Israel is expected to have a population of 13 million people. Contrary to predictions, its economy didn’t collapse; investors stayed, and its foreign currency reserves are at an all-time high. Israel now ranks 17th globally in GDP per capita—ahead of Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Spain, and Japan.
Most importantly, under Netanyahu’s leadership, Israel is reshaping the Middle East—not just to avoid another October 7, but to ensure the Jewish people’s future for generations.
History will not be able to ignore this.
The author is a resident of the Negev and a public activist.