Israeli Writer Attacks Netanyahu and Trump's 'Obsession': They Are Dragging the Region into a Deranged War

Prominent Israeli journalist, Uri Misgav, launched a scathing attack on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, considering them to be leading the region towards a comprehensive and insane confrontation. In an article published by 'Haaretz' newspaper, Misgav described the two leaders as narcissistic and burdened by deep political and judicial crises, which drives them to make decisions completely detached from the on-the-ground and strategic reality.

Misgav considered the current Israeli government to be the most fundamentalist and anti-democratic in the country's history, yet its leaders do not hesitate to lecture others on democracy. He pointed out that the current military leadership has transformed into an obedient technocratic tool that executes orders and uses excessive force without restraint, in the complete absence of any clear strategic horizon to end the continuous bleeding.

Even the new US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, did not escape the writer's criticism, who described him as a 'war minister' coming from the Fox News benches, referring to his controversial background and association with the far-right. Misgav believes that the presence of figures like Hegseth in Washington, and Israel Katz in Tel Aviv, reflects a deterioration in the standards of security and political competence in favor of narrow personal and partisan loyalties.

Misgav described the current military operations as a 'luxury war' managed from the sky through intense aerial bombardment in open corridors that face no real threats, but whose exorbitant price is paid by civilians. He affirmed that the bombing targeting vital facilities and schools in the region serves only the agenda of escalation, while the real 'cannon fodder' remains the residents of the region in Israel, Gulf states, Lebanon, and Iran.

Misgav criticized the contradiction in the political discourse of Netanyahu and Trump, who encourage the Iranian people to revolt against their regime, while at the same time raining bombs on their country targeting oil tanks and vital facilities. He believes that this contradiction reflects the absence of a real vision for what is called 'changing the face of the Middle East,' turning it into an empty slogan that covers up the failure to achieve tangible goals.

Regarding the management of the war, the article indicated that objectives change daily according to Trump's whims and improvised statements, while Netanyahu hides behind recorded messages and refuses to face real journalism. Promises have shifted from 'destroying the nuclear program' and 'eliminating Hezbollah' to merely 'postponing threats' or 'damaging capabilities,' formulas that reflect the inability to achieve 'absolute victory.'

Misgav warned against a repeat of the 'Lebanese quagmire' scenario, pointing out that the Israeli leadership sells illusions to the public about eliminating threats for generations, then returns to demand they stay in shelters for many months. He strongly criticized the pumping of billions of shekels from the budget deficit to the army, settlers, and Haredim, at the expense of the struggling economy and public services suffering from collapse.

Misgav concluded his article by expressing his exasperation with the 'lies of the Israeli leadership' that promotes the continuation of the war until upcoming holidays without a clear timeline. He stressed that this confrontation, which he calls 'the roar of the deranged,' aims only to serve the leaders' survival in their positions, warning that the price will be a new sinking into endless regional crises, and the loss of opportunities for normal life that society aspires to.

This war has one name for me: the roar of the deranged; a war into which Israel and the United States were plunged by two men detached from reality.