Al Jazeera already admits: The Arab world's secret plan for Israel

Disclosure: The author of the article is a member of the Likud party and is running in the Likud primaries. In recent years, and especially since the massacre of October 7, 2023, voices have been heard more loudly in Arab countries, both at the official level and in public discourse, expressing hope for a change of government in Israel.

This is not necessarily about ideological support for the classic "Israeli Left" (which is currently very weak), but a clear preference for a government less identified with the Right and more open to political dialogue with the Palestinians. A dialogue that would eventually lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state. Benjamin Netanyahu, as a symbol of the current right-wing government, is perceived by many in the Arab world as a major obstacle to this goal.

Constant guest on the Al Jazeera network, correspondent and expert on Israeli affairs Ihab Jabareen, recently made prominent statements about the current situation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party. Jabareen, in interviews on a variety of Arab channels, noted that the current moments represent the greatest periods of humiliation and disgrace for Netanyahu since he entered politics more than 43 years ago, and perhaps even more than the defeat of 1999.

The idea that Jabareen raises in one phrase: "If Netanyahu falls – Likud will fall". "Likud will collapse and even the Right in Israel will not rise after the Netanyahu era and the Israeli Left will take power. This is not wishful thinking or analysis but a structured plan that Arab countries are working on, led by Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Jabareen's claim is that Netanyahu has controlled the party since the 90s, turned it into a personal tool, ousted internal competitors and tied it to coalitions with the far-right and the ultra-Orthodox parties. The electoral identity of Likud has become more tied to his image than to the traditional Jabotinsky ideology.

According to the correspondent, a political fall of Netanyahu (in the upcoming elections) may lead to the dissolution of Likud, since senior party members and ministers depend on his remaining, and the Israeli party system relies on the charismatic leader. History shows, according to Jabareen, that Israeli parties are greatly influenced by the departure of dominant leaders.

Qatar, through the Al Jazeera channel and its diplomatic discourse, promotes a narrative against the Netanyahu government and even frequently hosts guests from Israel who sharply attack Netanyahu. Even Egypt, which does not usually host Israeli guests, recently hosted the Israeli journalist Gideon Levy, who sharply criticized the policies of Netanyahu and the government.

Such criticism joins media and diplomatic pressure that weakens the Prime Minister's international image. Other Arab countries see his government as an obstacle to regional stability and possible normalization or a political solution. Many Arab governments prefer an Israeli government from the Left, capable, according to the Arabs, of conducting negotiations and even establishing a Palestinian state, because the Right, in the eyes of the Arabs, threatens the interests of the PA.

The Arabs believe, and rightly so, that Netanyahu's governments, especially since 2022 together with his partners from the Right (Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich), are promoting massive construction in the West Bank, de facto annexation of territories, and an open rejection of the idea of a Palestinian state. Netanyahu himself has stated more than once his opposition to a Palestinian state west of the Jordan, and even spoke about a connection to the vision of "Greater Israel". Arab countries see this as a direct threat. They demand a "credible path" to a Palestinian state as a condition for deepening relations or normalization (with Saudi Arabia, for example).

A left-wing government, in their eyes, is more flexible and would be open to conducting negotiations with the Palestinians and even willing to discuss territorial concessions (as was the case in the past with "land for peace") or at least a construction freeze — something that makes it easier for Arab leaders to justify cooperation with Israel to their public.

The Arab countries' preference for Netanyahu's ouster does not stem from love for the Israeli Left, but from a cold calculation of interests: internal stability, reduction of public pressure, opening the door to wider normalization, and reducing the risks of escalation. Netanyahu, as someone identified with the principles of the Right, has become a symbol of a policy that makes things difficult for Arab partners. A change of government towards the Left is perceived by them as an opportunity to reset relations and move towards a more stable regional order.

Arab countries have not forgotten the vision of the one who was the interim Prime Minister of Israel, Yair Lapid, when in his speech at the UN in September 2022, a year and a bit before the massacre of October 7, he said the following: "Israel's economic and military strength allows us to protect ourselves, but it allows us one more thing: to strive for peace with the entire Arab world and with our closest neighbors – the Palestinians. An agreement based on two states for two peoples is the right thing for Israel's security, for the Israeli economy and for the future of our children. Peace is not a compromise, it is the bravest decision we can make. Peace is not a weakness, it embodies all the power of the human spirit. War is a surrender to everything that is bad in us, peace is the victory of everything that is good."

In fact, this speech essentially aligns with the vision of the Palestinians and the Arab countries. Eisenkot and Bennett, Lapid's partners, are considered center-left figures who may adopt this vision. Therefore, Qatar and Arab countries are working to topple Netanyahu and crush Likud in particular and the Right in general. It is not personal against Netanyahu but against the Right as a whole to put an end to right-wing rule in Israel and replace it with a left-wing government.

Arab countries should know that the political reality in Israel is determined mainly by the Israeli voter and not by Arab countries or their propaganda. The Israeli voter is sharp and knows what is good for Israel.