Israeli President Says ‘No Israelis in Their Right Mind’ Are Thinking About Peace

Netanyahu reportedly said the slaughter in Gaza could go into 2025

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Thursday that no Israelis “in their right mind” are thinking about peace as Israeli officials continue to make clear the onslaught in Gaza will not end anytime soon.

“If you ask an average Israeli now about his or her mental state, nobody in his right mind is willing now to think about what will be the solution of the peace agreements,” he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“Because everybody wants to know: Can we be promised real safety in the future?” Herzog added.

His comments came after Israeli TV reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s current assessment is that the operations in Gaza will continue into 2025. Israeli military officials have said publicly that they expect the fighting to continue through the entire year of 2024.

Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed the slaughter will continue despite the growing international pressure, which includes South Africa accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice.

South Africa’s case cites genocidal rhetoric from Israeli officials, including Herzog, who said there are no innocent civilians in Gaza. “It’s an entire nation out there that is responsible. It’s not true this rhetoric about civilians not aware not involved. It’s absolutely not true. … and we will fight until we break their backbone,” the Israeli president said on October 12.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.