Ben-Gvir, Netanyahu and Israel’s deadly dance of power

In a genocidal war that has spiraled into a struggle for political survival, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition and the global powers supporting him continue to sacrifice Palestinian lives for political gain.

The sordid career of extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir epitomizes this tragic reality.

Ben-Gvir joined Netanyahu’s government coalition following the December 2022 elections. He remained in the coalition during the post-Oct. 7, 2023, war and genocide on the understanding that any ceasefire in Gaza would force his departure.

As long as the killing of Palestinians and the destruction of their cities continued, Ben-Gvir would stay on board — though neither he nor Netanyahu had any real “next-day” plan, other than to carry out some of the most heinous massacres against a civilian population in recent history.

On Jan. 19, Ben-Gvir left the government immediately after the start of the ceasefire, which many argued would not last. Netanyahu’s untrustworthiness, along with the expected collapse of his government if the war were to end completely, made the ceasefire unfeasible.

Ben-Gvir returned when the genocide resumed on March 18. “We are back, with all our might and power,” he posted on X on the day of his return.

Israel lacks a clear plan because it cannot defeat the Palestinians. While the Israeli army has inflicted suffering on the Palestinian people like no other force has against a civilian population in modern history, the war endures because the Palestinians refuse to surrender.

Israel’s military planners know that a military victory is no longer possible. Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon this month added his voice to the growing chorus, stating during an interview that “revenge is not a war plan.”

The Americans, who supported Netanyahu’s violation of the ceasefire — thus resuming the killings — also understand that the war is almost entirely a political struggle designed to keep figures like Ben-Gvir and extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in Netanyahu’s coalition.

Though “war is the continuation of politics by other means,” as Prussian general Carl von Clausewitz once surmised, in Israel’s case the politics behind the war is not about Israel as a state but about Netanyahu’s own political survival. He is sacrificing Palestinian children to stay in power, while his extremist ministers do the same to expand their support among right-wing, religious and ultranationalist constituencies.

This logic — that Israel’s war on Gaza reflects internal politics, ideological warfare and class infighting — extends to other political players as well.

The Trump administration supports Israel in return for the financial backing it received from Netanyahu’s supporters in the US during last year’s election campaign. Meanwhile, the UK remains steadfast in its commitment to Tel Aviv, despite the political shifts in Westminster, thus continuing to align with US-Israeli interests while disregarding the wishes of its own population. Germany, which is said to be driven by guilt over its past crimes, and other Western governments pay lip service to human rights while acting in ways that contradict their stated foreign policies.

This mirrors the dystopian world of George Orwell’s “1984,” in which perpetual war is waged based on cynical and false assumptions, where “war is peace … freedom is slavery … and ignorance is strength.”

These elements are reflected in today’s equally dystopian reality. However, Israel substitutes “peace” with “security,” the US is motivated by dominance and “stability” and Europe continues to speak of “democracy.”

Another key difference is that Palestinians do not belong to any of these “superstates.” They are treated as mere pawns, their deaths and enduring injustice used to create the illusion of conflict and to justify the ongoing prolongation of the war.

The deaths of Palestinians — now numbering more than 50,000 — are widely reported by mainstream media outlets, yet rarely do they mention that this is not a war in the traditional sense, but a genocide carried out, financed and defended by Israel and Western powers for domestic political reasons. Palestinians continue to resist because it is their only option in the face of utter destruction and extermination.

However, Netanyahu’s war is not sustainable in the Orwellian sense either. For it to be sustainable, it would need infinite economic resources, which Israel, despite the US’ generosity, does not have. It would also need an endless supply of soldiers, but reports indicate that at least half of Israel’s reservists are not rejoining the army.

The Gaza war is almost entirely a political struggle designed to keep figures like Ben-Gvir and Smotrich in Netanyahu’s coalition.

Dr. Ramzy Baroud

Furthermore, Netanyahu does not merely seek to sustain the war; he aims to expand it. This could shift regional and international dynamics in ways that neither Israeli leaders nor their allies fully understand.

Aware of this, Arab leaders met in Cairo on March 4 to propose an alternative to the Netanyahu-Donald Trump plan to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Gaza. However, they are yet to take meaningful action to hold Israel accountable for its defiance of international and humanitarian laws, which has continued since the Arab summit.

The Arab world must escalate beyond mere statements or the Middle East may endure further war, all to prolong Netanyahu’s coalition of extremists a little longer.

As for the West, the crisis lies in its moral contradictions. The situation in Gaza embodies Orwell’s concept of doublethink — the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously and accepting both. Western powers claim to support human rights while simultaneously backing genocide. Until this dilemma is resolved, the Middle East will continue to endure suffering for years to come.

• Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and author. He is editor of The Palestine Chronicle and nonresident senior research fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs. His latest book, co-edited with Ilan Pappe, is “Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak Out.” X: @RamzyBaroud