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Comment by zelphirkalt | Hacker News Reader

They must really be in desperate need for more conflict to keep their population at bay. For Netanyahu certainly conflicts come at a convenient time. First he tried to swing himself up to dictator like figure, taking away power from judiciary, tens of thousands of people go to protest. Then October 7 happens. Suddenly a war keeps him in power. Now that that has been going on, and hundreds of thousands are on the streets, they are doing many things to provoke another conflict/war. I think if they fail to keep Israel in a war-like state, his days will be over quickly. He knows that, so he tries to escalate. Not that Iran and their allies aren't provoking and escalating either, but for Netanyahu this is all very convenient.

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You're forgetting that tens of thousands of Israelis from the north of Israel have been homeless and internally displaced since shortly after October 7th when Hezbollah started indiscriminately targeting Israeli residential neighborhoods in North Israel with rockets, artillery, and ATGMs, killing several civilians. This is not a tenable state of affairs, not militarily, nor politically. Israel is going to address it one way or another, one day or another, and perhaps they're starting now.

So in one sense you're right that it's to keep their population at bay -- because their population is absolutely fed up with the situation in North Israel and how people have been homeless for nearly a year now and a huge swath of the northern part of the country, will billions of dollars in real estate in total, is uninhabitable. And if this government can't provide security for its citizens, which is the most important thing a government can do by the way, then it will be replaced with one that can.

The opposite is probably more true. By the admission of some of Netanyahu's own command staff, the only reason the IDF is still committed in Gaza is to keep Netanyahu in power; as soon as Gaza is resolved, he's likely to be ousted (and then to face criminal charges). Israel cannot stay fully engaged in Gaza and open up a conventional military front in southern Lebanon. If we're using this kind of logic --- message board logic, let's be clear --- today's action harms Netanyahu's immediate interests, by hastening the point at which the IDF will substantially withdraw from Gaza.

I'm pretty sure that if the IDF is committed in Lebanon it's no different from Gaza, as far as the ousting process is concerned.

Do you have a source for that command staff admission?

There are still hostages in Gaza. Until they're either released or proven dead I would guess Gaza would still be counted as "unresolved".

Yup, Netanyahu is certainly taking advantage of the situation to secure his position, at the cost of innocent lives and the expense of the United States. As long as Israel remains committed to its purely-Jewish-state ideal, the conflict will continue, draining more money from US taxpayers.

I think this is the case of both sides knew about each other's plan all along and yet Oct 7 happened. What could be the reason for both sides to execute it. Just to find out what happens?

Like George Carlin said, “you don’t need a formal conspiracy when interests converge”

There are other governments who also benefit from war in the region that most likely have a hand in encouraging, directly or indirectly, for continued conflict.

Unfortunately Netanyahu has gained and lost the prime minister position multiple times without wars. He's just somewhat popular. Between his first government in 1995 and today, people forget there were prime ministers Sharon, Olmert, Barak, Lapid, Bennet, just 18 months before 10/07 his opposition was in power. Did they not have any part of ignoring the preperations?

Even if he would have lost his position if 10/07 never happened, history has shown he always ends up back in leadership due to a million+ voters for his own party, and millions of votes for other religious and right wing parties.

People can rightfully hate them all they want, but he has the votes, and Israel doesn't have a limit on the number of times you can be prime minister

This is only half joking but the only "solution" to the Netanyahu problem is to replace the voters

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