In the coming few days, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will face a defining choice between a politically motivated “war of deception” in Gaza and a deal to release all hostages while ending the war. He must choose between his extreme-right ministers—Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich—or aligning with Donald Trump.
There is no symmetry here. Accepting a hostage deal, ending the war, and working with Trump and free world leaders, won’t be effortless. Any choice requires detailed negotiations and compromises. But this path is far superior to any realistic alternative.
Based on the achievements of the Israel Defense Forces—including damage to Hamas, weakening Hezbollah, destroying Syria’s military arsenal during Assad’s collapse, and demonstrating Israel’s capability to strike deep into Iran—Israeli leadership could, from a position of strength, pursue releasing all hostages simultaneously, halt this senseless war, end the humanitarian crisis, and uproot Hamas from power. This would enable Israel, though belatedly, to join Trump’s vision of a New Middle East, including normalization with Saudi Arabia, regional deployment to tackle the Iranian challenge, and participation in the trade corridor project from India through the Gulf to Europe.
Choosing a “war of deception” instead—where misleading propaganda presents political warfare as serving Israel’s security—would be a grave mistake. It’s highly doubtful that continuing the war could produce results different from previous Gaza rounds over the past 20 months. But it would certainly constitute a death sentence for some or most living hostages and deepen the diplomatic tsunami and International Criminal Court claims Israel already faces.
This approach might make sense if it could achieve “total victory” over Hamas, but that won’t happen. When this new war inevitably halts—under diplomatic pressure, humanitarian crisis, battlefield events, or domestic political developments—we would find ourselves in…
