War drums begin to beat as Netanyahu returns as PM, claim analysts -

Tel Aviv: Israel’s media has warned that drums of war begin to beat with Benjamin Netanyahu’s return as Israel’s PM. Netanyahu’s colleague Tzachi Hanegbi has given such indications. Hanegbi has expressed his belief that if the leaders of liberal countries fail to stop Iran’s nuclear programme and take action against it, the incoming Prime Minister, Netanyahu, will not refrain from taking the necessary actions to stop Iran.

Israel has only two options either give up on or stop Iran’s nuclear programme. In such a situation, there is no option but to take drastic action if Iran’s nuclear programme is to be stopped. The main reason is that if liberal countries are not eager to stop Iran’s nuclear programme, Israel will have to resort to military action. Benjamin Netanyahu has pointed out the potential threat to Israel from Iran’s nuclear programme for the past twenty years. His earlier warnings in this regard seem to become factual now. Therefore, Hanegbi claimed that after becoming the PM, Netanyahu would not refrain from taking aggressive actions to stop Iran’s nuclear programme.

Israel’s departing Prime Minister Yair Lapid had also announced that there would be the option of military action before Israel against Iran’s nuclear programme. However, Lapid had emphasised the efforts to put pressure on Iran through diplomatic talks with the US and the West. Lapid said that rather than threatening the US and the West over Iran’s nuclear programme, diplomatic negotiations would be preferable for Israel. Lapid had alleged that his previous government, i.e. Netanyahu’s government, was harming Israel by adopting a confrontational role.

However, Benjamin Netanyahu, then leader of the opposition party, had criticised Lapid’s policies as a waste of time and proven beneficial to Iran, which was racing towards a nuclear bomb. Therefore, it is clearly seen that Netanyahu, who returns to the post of Prime Minister after winning the elections, would make Israel’s position against Iran even tougher. Tzachi Hanegbi has signalled it, and Israeli analysts say that this clearly shows that war drums have begun to beat.

Along with this, there are indications that the appointment of Benjamin Netanyahu as the Prime Minister of Israel was promising for the Arab countries who believe that Iran threatens them. Categorically, Gulf leaders have not reacted directly to Netanyahu’s victory. But Bahrain’s diplomatic adviser, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, claimed that Bahrain’s cooperation with Israel would continue according to the Abraham Accords even after Netanyahu became the Prime Minister of Israel.

The stance of Saudi Arabia, UAE and other Gulf countries opposing Iran’s nuclear programme is unlikely to be different. Therefore, after Benjamin Netanyahu took office as Prime Minister, it appeared that he would use cooperation with the Gulf countries to strengthen the front against Iran. By citing this, Israeli analysts have claimed that the war drums have begun to beat.