It appears that the US is not the only country to be disgusted by and tired of this sad excuse for an illegal war. Israel is unhappy, too. And Iran is sitting pretty in the catbird seat. This has been wretched from the get-go. And we have lost, no matter how Trump tries to spin it, or how much Netanyahu tries to spin it. It’s a flop and proves how little planning went into it. From what my friends in the world have told me, not just Trump but the whole US has been embarrassed by this failure. Isn’t that a grand thing to hear? Gratitude to Raw Story:
The 40-day war with Iran is becoming a political millstone [subscription may be required] around both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump’s necks — and Israeli public opinion shows that the nation believes the operation has spectacularly failed to deliver on its promises.
According to the New York Times, new polling reveals widespread Israeli disillusionment with the conflict and its meager results. The war in Iran and the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon have left Israelis despairing over how little was actually accomplished compared to what leaders promised.
Can we blame them? Not at all, since we’re feeling the same way about our part of it. The *only* thing that came out of this goddamn war is Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz. It sure as hell isn’t a good sign for our side. If Trump goes back to the infrastructure and genocide threats, we are in major, MAJOR trouble, because that madman will do it!
The scorecard is devastating.
Regime change in Iran? Senior government and military leaders have been killed, but it is still the same regime.
Destruction of Iran’s nuclear program? Damaged or delayed, perhaps, but not ended.
Elimination of Iran’s ballistic missile threat? Reduced, perhaps, but still a threat.
The strategic damage extends beyond military failure, the Times reported. Israel has been
reduced to a subordinate position, forced to accept whatever Washington decides.When Israel conducted a furious wave of airstrikes on Beirut on Wednesday that violated the day-old ceasefire, Trump scolded the country — demonstrating Israel’s lack of independent agency, the Times wrote.
Well, that’s ugly. I was under the impression that Israel got us into this. Reducing them to a vassal has to be galling. And scolding them like children is demeaning. And unnecessary! But Trump doesn’t think of things that way. This leads me to think that Israel may be pulling away from the US. Whether that’s good or bad is debatable. The war is a failure and has accomplished nothing.
According to an opinion poll released Sunday by the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, barely a third of Israelis believe that when Israel and the United States disagree, Israel can act on its own judgment.
A separate poll from Agam Institute and Hebrew University of Jerusalem found even more damning results: “Three times as many Israelis see the war as a failure than a victory,” the Times reported. Even more striking, 70 percent believe the ceasefire reflects an American concession to Iran, and two-thirds oppose it.
The psychological toll is equally severe. “Many Israelis have become pessimistic, fatigued, disillusioned, and distrustful of the information that they are receiving,” according to the Agam-Hebrew University survey.
Israeli analyst Yaakov Katz, co-founder of the Middle East-America Dialogue, said, “What’s the Israeli story today? It’s a narrative of a country that’s constantly fighting, and presents no alternatives except for more war.”
Right now, there certainly don’t seem to be any alternatives. And how much of their munitions have they gone through between Gaza, Lebanon, and the war? Has anyone considered that aspect of it? I don’t know what to think about Israel at this point. It’s all muddled. But I do think Trump gave in to Iran after they blocked the Strait. Now he’s blockading the blockade. Hooey. Stupid, irresponsible idiot to block ships coming through. How the hell can we get out of that?
See you soon!
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A couple questions here. Why do you hate America so much, & why don’t you just leave? You think The United States has been embarrassed on the world stage and you say “Isn’t that a grand thing to hear” Despicable! You’re worse than pos Thomas Friedman who actively roots for Iran, and any enemies of America, rather than have Trump or Netanyahu be right & look good. Secondly, when you say “illegal war” precisely what is illegal? I KNOW you weren’t saying that when democrats were in the White house launching military operations. Hypocrite!
if I might attempt to predict what Americans’ answers would be,
They don’t hate *America* particularly, they hate the current administration, MAGA and Trump in particular. That’s different.
It’s difficult & wrenching to leave your country – it’s a big hurdle. It also likely would cost money up front, which many people don’t have, especially those trying to eke out a living writing a blog. And there’s the hope that relative ‘normality’ will be restored at some point.
I’m sure “Isn’t that a grand thing to hear” was meant tougue-in-cheek.
The war is clearly illegal under international law – America was not in imminent danger, nor even Israel. That’s what it means.
Many in America, including some Democrats, do often oppose military operations abroad.