Yediot column and security commentator Amichai Attali wrote Thursday evening that a significant, long-prepared military operation in southern Lebanon is ready but awaits a political green light that never comes. Attali said the gap between Netanyahu's hawkish rhetoric and restrained action is the main cause of eroding public trust, echoed by a recent letter from parents of commando brigade fighters demanding a clear decision.
Amichai Attali, a veteran security commentator for Yediot Aharonot, published a column Thursday evening analyzing what he described as a chronic gap between Prime Minister Netanyahu's public declarations and actual policy in southern Lebanon.
Attali claimed that a single, focused military operation in southern Lebanon has been fully prepared for a long period — troops trained, equipment in place — but repeatedly awaits a cabinet green light that never arrives, citing international constraints and diplomatic needs. He wrote that the problem is not the constraints themselves but the 'policy of lies' accompanying them: Netanyahu projects uncompromising aggression while running a hesitant, restrained policy, mainly under US pressure.
The commentary echoes a letter published this week by parents of soldiers in the IDF Commando Brigade, who Attali said are among 'the most patriotic families in Israel' and who do not demand an end to fighting, but simply ask for a clear decision — either full offensive with all force, or a smart, safe defensive redeployment that does not leave soldiers as static targets.
As The Zioneer reported Tuesday, former PM Naftali Bennett responded to the same letter by saying the government ties troops' hands in Lebanon. The column adds to a growing public debate over Israel's operational posture on the northern front.
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- StrongNetanyahu tells aides withdrawal from southern Lebanon is a 'red line' as US pressure mounts
- StrongCommentator argues against immediate Lebanon withdrawal, calls for political initiative
- StrongIsraeli commentator: Political echelon's decision to avoid proactive operations in southern Lebanon is a mistake
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