Op-ed – Zionism is not Netanyahuism

One cannot confuse love for Israel with unconditional support for its leaders. I am a Zionist, deeply committed to the right of the Jewish people to live safely in their land. But I cannot accept the policies pursued by Benjamin Netanyahu.

The man who has presented himself for decades as “Mr. Security” must now be held accountable. Of course, he is not responsible for the heinous attacks carried out by Hamas – these unspeakable crimes fall solely on the terrorists. But as Prime Minister, he bears the political responsibility for a failed security system, unable to protect Israeli citizens on October 7 and since then.

In Israel’s history, the social contract rests on a simple promise: the security of the people. That contract has been broken.

After more than two years of war, the record is damning: the stated objective – to destroy Hamas – has not been achieved. Not only has the terrorist organization not disappeared, it continues to strike, to recruit, to inspire. Worse still, a new generation of Palestinians, raised in anger and despair, risks becoming even more radical than its predecessors. In other words, far from strengthening Israel’s security, this war without a political horizon may well be sowing the seeds of future cycles of violence.

This strategic dead end is compounded by Netanyahu’s personal fragility, mired in his legal troubles over corruption and abuse of power. How can a head of government weakened by his own affairs embody the moral authority and national unity required at such a critical moment in Israel’s history?

To be a Zionist is not to remain silent in the face of a leader’s failure. On the contrary, it is to defend a vision greater than that of one man: that of a Jewish state that is safe, just, and forward-looking. Zionism cannot be reduced to Netanyahuism.