Most of the news that concerns us and our region is the subject of sharp political bickering or unprecedented disinformation campaigns. This bickering is tied to the elections in the United States and political campaigns in Israel.
Israel, Hamas, Iran, and Hezbollah have been spreading disinformation about the war in Gaza and Israeli operations in Lebanon. The Houthis have also been launching disinformation campaigns, particularly on social media.
What concerns our region, every party involved, is to focus on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will remain in power until the next US presidential elections in November.
Why should we keep our eyes on Netanyahu now? He visited Washington and delivered a speech in Congress after bombing Hodeidah, a vicious attack that seemed to burn the Port of Hodeidah and its fuel reservoirs in response to a drone attack on a building in Tel Aviv.
No prominent international actor reacted to the attack, and he then visited Washington despite the ongoing war in Gaza and the constant escalation on the Lebanese front. He gave an "applause" speech in which he did not voice any firm position, only making "electoral" objections in his address to the US administration and Congress.
After all of that, Netanyahu met with President Biden, his vice president, and former President and current candidate Trump. During his stay in the United States, Reuters reported that Israel is seeking to make amendments to President Biden’s proposal for a truce in Gaza.
All of this tells us that Netanyahu is not concerned by international pressure, particularly the reported pressures exerted by the Americans. I believe that since Biden announced he would not run for a second term, Washington or the US administration have become the last thing on Netanyahu’s mind.
Thus, Netanyahu is now acting as though he has been given a green light until November. The United States has not only entered what is known as the "crazy season," the presidential election season, but things have become even more complicated with Kamala Harris becoming the nominee against Trump.
Netanyahu understood this well, as has Iran, which has gone completely silent. The same is true for Hezbollah, which seems to have decided to bring the Houthis into the fray. It is clear that the Houthis are still in shock following Israel's ferocious strike.
Therefore, Netanyahu will now operate freely. He has no real political pressure to deal with, and he might now have more of a free hand as developments in the leadup to the US elections unfold. No one can stop Netanyahu now, neither on the ground in Gaza nor through political pressures from abroad.
All of this is dangerous for Gaza, the Palestinian state project, and Lebanon, which is effectively in a state of war with Israel. The Israelis have not stopped targeting Hezbollah, neither in Lebanon itself nor even in Syria.
Netanyahu is laying the groundwork for his engagement with the next American president, whoever it may be. He is not ready to make any concessions now, especially since he sees greater opportunities if Trump is elected. Thus, my advice is: keep your eyes on Netanyahu now.
