Amid his self-celebration of what he calls “historic victories,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly described himself as being on a “historic and spiritual mission.” He declared his deep commitment to the vision of a “Greater Israel” — a project that, according to Times of Israel, extends beyond the occupied Palestinian lands to include parts of Jordan and Egypt.
The Israeli outlet reported that Sharon Gal, a far-right former Knesset member and current i24 news host, presented Netanyahu with a talisman shaped like the so-called “map of the Promised Land.” When asked about his attachment to this vision of “Greater Israel,” Netanyahu replied: “Absolutely.”
The idea of “Greater Israel” emerged after the 1967 war (al-Naksa), referring to the territories seized at the time: East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, Sinai, and the Golan Heights.
Netanyahu’s statements do not only reveal his extremist Zionist creed, evident in the makeup and policies of his government. They also highlight the extent of his personal delusion, particularly in presenting the military campaigns in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen, and Iraq as proof of “historic achievement.” Yet, when viewed strategically, these claims collapse. What Netanyahu calls victories are, in reality, illusions that mask Israel’s failures and expose its long-term vulnerability.
1. Failure to Achieve Declared War Goals
Netanyahu cannot credibly declare victory. Nearly 22 months after launching his war on Gaza, his stated goals remain unfulfilled. He has not recovered the captives, nor has he eliminated Hamas. On the contrary, Hamas’s military wing — the Al-Qassam Brigades — continues to inflict painful losses on Israeli forces through sophisticated ambushes.
Each time Netanyahu returns to the negotiating table with Hamas, the illusion of its defeat dissolves. The movement has imposed itself as a political actor, even negotiating indirectly with the United States. This reality demolishes Netanyahu’s early promises of destroying Hamas.
From the earliest months of the war, Israeli commanders, opposition leaders, and even world figures such as former U.S. President Joe Biden admitted: Hamas cannot be defeated. The reason is clear — it is not just an armed group but an idea rooted in faith and resistance.
2. The Multiplying Fronts
Netanyahu also failed to silence the other resistance fronts that ignited after October 7, 2023. Skirmishes with Lebanon, Yemen, and Iran continue. Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear program caused only limited damage; assessments now suggest Tehran is more likely to accelerate its project than abandon it.
The region as a whole remains unstable, with volatility growing rather than easing in Israel’s favour. Even within Israeli leadership circles, top generals — including Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir — have warned internally that occupying Gaza would be a “strategic trap.” Gaza itself has become a quagmire, pulling Netanyahu deeper into crisis.
3. Genocide Masquerading as Victory
Netanyahu has mistaken mass slaughter for triumph. The unprecedented devastation he unleashed on Gaza is viewed worldwide not as a success but as evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
These atrocities have turned Israel into a pariah state, reviled across continents, abandoned by allies, and condemned by global opinion. Week after week, tens of millions march worldwide in solidarity with Gaza, waving the Palestinian flag in a display of popular unity unseen in modern history.
The Palestinian cause has returned to the centre of global attention. Recognition of Palestine as a state — or announcements of intent to recognise — by numerous countries, including major powers such as France and Britain, has transformed the diplomatic landscape. Each recognition weakens Israel and underscores its isolation.
Meanwhile, Israeli leaders now face active prosecution attempts in international courts, from the International Court of Justice to the International Criminal Court, marking a historic erosion of impunity.
4. Dragging Washington into Unwanted Wars
American and Western experts increasingly warn that Netanyahu’s obstinacy in Gaza — and his reckless military provocations on multiple fronts — are dragging Washington into conflicts it seeks to avoid.
While U.S. President Donald Trump struggles to brand himself as a “man of peace” and eyes a Nobel Peace Prize, Netanyahu’s warpath undermines that image. His maneuvers risk entangling the U.S. in direct confrontation with Iran and destabilising the region at large.
In doing so, Netanyahu distracts Washington from its declared strategic priorities — countering China and containing Russia. Growing voices in America now urge Trump to resist Netanyahu’s manipulation and distance the U.S. from policies inseparably tied to genocide, war crimes, and famine.
5. Squandering Potential Gains
Even the limited military gains Israel achieved have been squandered. Netanyahu, drunk with arrogance, refused to translate them into political advantage. Instead, he deepened his commitment to a war of extermination, speaking openly of forced displacement, nuclear strikes on Gaza, and the re-engineering of the Middle East according to Israel’s fantasies.
Such rhetoric has angered regional powers, destabilised normalisation prospects, and revealed Israel’s delusions of grandeur.
6. The Illusion of Regional Hegemony
Finally, Netanyahu and his extremist cabinet remain possessed by the illusion of transforming Israel into a hegemonic regional power. But history, geography, and demography expose the absurdity of this ambition.
Israel is a state of 10 million, one quarter of whom are Arabs. It occupies a strip of 23,000 km², yet it seeks to dominate a region of nearly 650 million people across 15 million km² — including Arabs, Turks, and Iranians.
Occupation, apartheid, and rejection by the region’s peoples ensure Israel cannot integrate, cannot dominate, and cannot dictate. Public opinion across the Middle East is overwhelmingly hostile. Strong regional actors — Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Syria — will never accept Israel as a regional master.
Far from securing its future, Netanyahu’s illusions deepen Israel’s crisis, renewing the question that has haunted the Zionist project since its inception: the question of existence itself.
