Professor Cohen Eliya: Netanyahu Bears Responsibility for Hamas Funding

Professor Moshe Cohen Eliya stated on Thursday that while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bears responsibility for the perception of Hamas as an asset and for its funding, he is not solely to blame. Cohen Eliya argued that the entire Israeli political, security, and mainstream media leadership shared responsibility for this situation. He asserted that no one would have allowed Netanyahu to launch a preemptive operation, and anyone claiming otherwise is a liar, suggesting that a traumatic event like the October 7th attack was necessary for such an operation, even then facing opposition from those seeking to halt the war.

Cohen Eliya further contended that because all leaders share responsibility, with varying degrees of culpability among generals who did not wake the prime minister, only one person can lead Israel through its current paramount security challenges: Netanyahu. He dismissed other potential leaders, naming Benny Gantz, Naftali Bennett, and Yair Golan, as inadequate. According to Cohen Eliya, Netanyahu has "changed his tune" since October 7th, with the results visible on the battlefield.

The professor criticized the labeling of anyone exercising rational judgment as a "Bibiist" (a supporter of Netanyahu), viewing it as an evasion of genuine argument. He claimed the left has forgotten how to argue, lacking thought and depth, and instead directs hatred towards the political right, labeling them "Bibiists" without substantive reasoning.