US : The dilemma Netanyahu faces as a result of the Iran deal

 The dilemma Netanyahu faces as a result of the Iran deal

A preliminary agreement to end the war with Iran has been signed and details will be announced soon, US President Donald Trump said.

Trump made the remarks during talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in France on Monday.

Senior US officials have outlined some of the details of the deal, saying the Strait of Hormuz will reopen on Friday, the day the deal is formally signed in Geneva.

Meanwhile, the US deal with Iran and the announcement of a ceasefire are seen as a “political nightmare” for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

It has damaged three key pillars of his long political career and plunged him into a new security crisis.

The question arises, how did someone who presented himself as a “political advisor” to Washington and who had strong influence over US politicians bypass his main US ally, Iran, and how did he end up in such a public humiliation?

How did someone who had placed confronting Iran at the center of Israel’s security plans find himself in a situation where Iran is actually stronger than before the war?

Moreover, Washington and Tehran’s demands to stop attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon have put the political image of Netanyahu, now known as Israel’s “Mr. Security,” in jeopardy, especially just months before the country’s general elections.

Netanyahu now has no good alternative.

On Monday, opposition leader Yair Lapid said in Israel’s Knesset, the parliament, that “he now has only two options open to him – either a direct and deadly confrontation with our greatest ally, or the destruction of Israeli interests.”

US President Donald Trump recently said that Netanyahu had shown no sense of judgment in ordering the Beirut attack on Sunday.

Trump’s statement was seized upon by Netanyahu’s political opponents and media commentators in Israel. The opposition is now seizing the opportunity with elections due before October.

The pressure on Netanyahu is also evident in comments from his own political party, the Likud Party, and hard-line ministers in the coalition government.

Especially regarding Tehran's claim that the cease-fire would stop "military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon."

Israel's hard-line national security minister Itamar Benghavi wrote on social media, "Trump's deal does not bind us." We are not party to the agreement, which does not ensure our security.'

"It's hard to understand why the Americans accepted it," said Sima Shine, a former Mossad officer and Iran expert. By giving Iran the power to determine what happens in Lebanon, the United States is actually allowing Hezbollah to continue to support it and allow Hezbollah to remain a dominant force in Lebanese politics.'

Netanyahu himself is now largely silent.

Many see this silence of Netanyahu, who is used to claiming himself as a winner, as an indication of his difficult situation.

After the Hamas-led offensive in Gaza, Netanyahu's strategy was to be more aggressive, that is, to pre-empt risks rather than contain them.

But despite Israeli forces destroying much of Gaza and killing more than 73,000 people, according to Gaza's health ministry, Hamas still controls half of the territory and is reasserting its power.

On the other hand, the peace plan proposed by the United States for Gaza is still hanging in uncertainty despite the eight-month ceasefire.

Netanyahu's new security strategy has trapped Israeli forces in large swaths of Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. While this is popular with many Israelis, there is no clear diplomatic solution.

At the same time, this long war has pushed Israel's military resources and reserve forces to the point of exhaustion.

Israel has yet to eliminate its main enemies, despite repeatedly engaging in conflict against Iran and Hezbollah.

Instead, it has handed Tehran over to more hard-line leaders, who are free from the fear of US-Israeli power and have increased influence in the Strait of Hormuz.

In addition, it is now seen that Israel's main enemy is exerting influence on Israel's main ally.

Danny Citrinovich, a senior Iran researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, said, "Israel's failure calls for a rethinking of Tehran's strategy." They need to set more realistic and moderate priorities.'

He also said, "If Washington perceives any military action as an attempt to undermine the agreement, it may react strongly." The way Netanyahu used to avoid the White House during the Obama administration and try to achieve his work through Congress and American public opinion, there is almost no chance in the current situation.

Netanyahu has long claimed that his political skills and policies are the best way to protect Israel from regional threats.

A change in Iran's regime might have saved Netanyahu's political image and election rhetoric.

But instead, his new security policy confronts him not with an enemy, but with an ally or surrender.