OPINION:
I met him when he was deputy chief of mission at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, a position he held from 1982 to 1984. Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu immediately impressed me with his command of English and his understanding of both American and Middle Eastern history.
He was later Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations and then prime minister for three stints beginning in 1996.
The Israelis on the left hated him. In 2015, critics and a subsequent U.S. Senate investigation led by Sen. Rob Portman, Ohio Republican, revealed that State Department grant funds had been funneled to an anti-Netanyahu campaign organization in Tel Aviv during the election, but Mr. Netanyahu survived.
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With few exceptions, Mr. Netanyahu refused to accept his adversaries’ narrative that giving Israel’s enemies what they want would bring peace and stability to the region. He understood better than most others that doing so would instead lead to the demise of the Jewish state and the region’s only democracy.
It appears that what his enemies could not accomplish, the Israeli electorate may have done in the Oct. 27 election. Israeli President Isaac Herzog formally tasked opposition leader and Yashar party head Gadi Eisenkot — not Mr. Netanyahu — with forming the country’s next government.
Mr. Eisenkot has up to six weeks to succeed. If he fails, it will be Mr. Netanyahu’s turn. It will take something approaching a miracle for Mr. Netanyahu to win again, though he has miraculously survived before.
Mr. Netanyahu’s opponents blame him for the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 civilians and the kidnappings of 250. The ongoing investigation into the security lapse is warranted, but I think any fair assessment of Mr. Netanyahu’s legacy leads to the conclusion that he has been the best leader Israel has ever had.
Writing for the Jewish News Syndicate, Mendi Glik mentions only a few of his accomplishments:
- Undermining and ultimately replacing the disastrous Oslo Accords with a policy of peace through strength and rejecting the traditional land-for-peace paradigm.
- Transforming Israel’s historically socialist, centralized economy into an agile, high-tech capitalist power through sweeping deregulation and the privatization of state-controlled monopolies.
- Building Israel’s diplomatic, technological and military capabilities to establish it as an indispensable regional superpower, proving that strategic relevance and alliances are forged through sheer strength rather than concessions.
In his 736-page autobiography, “Bibi: My Story,” which he told me he wrote in longhand during COVID-19, Mr. Netanyahu writes poignantly: “I can say that I have clearly lived a life of purpose to help secure the future of my ancient people who suffered so much and have contributed so much to humanity. This mission will continue to inspire me until the end of my days.”
So, too, should it inspire everyone but the antisemites whose numbers seem to be growing in America and in Europe. The question they should be asked is: What have you contributed to the betterment of the world that even approaches what Israel and the Jewish people have accomplished?
Mr. Netanyahu concludes his book: “The rebirth of Israel is a miracle of faith and history. The Book of Samuel says, ’The eternity of Israel will not falter.’ Throughout our journey, including in the tempests and upheavals of modern times, this has held true. The People of Israel Live!”
Perhaps no other Israeli prime minister has done more to keep his country not only alive but also thriving. If he does not secure a final term as prime minister, that is a pretty good legacy. Supporters of Israel can only hope that his successor will build on Bibi’s record and example.
• Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book, “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (Humanix Books).
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