(Adnkronos) – The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is outlining – since the Hamas attack on October 7 – a new security strategy based on prolonged conflicts and preventive interventions. This is reported by the Financial Times, according to which “one battle after another” – in homage to the Oscar-winning film – is at the heart of the new paradigm dictated by Netanyahu and reiterated in a recent speech to military officers: “No more containment of threats. No more the idea of the ‘villa in the jungle’, where one hides from predators beyond the wall. On the contrary: if you don’t go into the jungle, the jungle comes to you.” This approach prepares the country for a phase of open and prolonged war against enemies still considered active, from the Palestinian movement to Hezbollah, up to Iran. And this is confirmed by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. “We cannot promise that this will be the last war,” he wrote in a post on X.
What some analysts define as the nascent “Netanyahu doctrine” foresees preventive attacks against every perceived threat, the creation of buffer zones through the control of territories in neighboring countries, and the constant use of force as the main guarantee of security. Experts like Michael Milshtein of Tel Aviv University describe it as a “post-traumatic” strategy, born in the wake of the 2023 attack but lacking a real long-term diplomatic vision. Criticism also focuses on human costs and the erosion of Israel’s international standing.
On the ground, Israel is engaged on multiple fronts: operations in Gaza, escalation in Lebanon against Hezbollah, and direct confrontation with Iran, while tensions persist in the West Bank and Houthi rebel attacks from Yemen. The stated goal is to redraw regional balances, but the war – the longest in the country’s history – is also putting pressure on the armed forces, with the general staff reporting the need for thousands of new soldiers.
Despite high domestic support, doubts are growing about the absence of definitive results and the gap between promises of “total victory” and the reality on the ground, while even historical allies like the United States express concern about a strategy that risks compromising regional stability. Netanyahu, however, remains convinced that only prolonged military pressure can force the Iranian regime to surrender: “Either they surrender, or they will continue to fight with sticks and stones,” a regional official reported.
