Would-Be PM Netanyahu Hopes to Sell War to International Community

Perhaps already practicing for what he hopes will be a return to the position of Israeli Prime Minister after next month’s elections, hawkish Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu defended the attacks on the Gaza Strip as the act of “a responsible government,” cheered the ban on Israeli-Arab political parties in the name of defending democracy, and said he looks forward to working with incoming Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

But while Netanyahu demands the “crippling” of Hamas and thinks they should “ultimately” be removed from power, his support of the war in principle comes with little commentary on the particulars of the terms of ending it, leaving open his ability to criticize the current government, however they eventually resolve the conflict… assuming they ever do.

He likewise joined the chorus of Israeli officials condemning the international criticism for the growing civilian death toll in Gaza, demanding that it be rolled back and claiming that it distorts the truth and morality. He denied that Israel targets civilians, though he did not mention any of the myriad examples to the contrary, and declared the deaths as “inevitable” in a war against Hamas.