Ofer Shelah: Israel has lost its influence on Middle East security architecture

Former Knesset member Ofer Shelah gave an interview on 103FM this Tuesday, criticizing the Benjamin Netanyahu government regarding its policy in the Gaza Strip. "No country in the world is willing to commit its soldiers or its money to the Gaza Strip," he claimed.

He added:

"This structure in Gaza, which makes sense from Israel's perspective, has no soldier to enforce it and no billions to rehabilitate it. It immediately becomes clear that it has no legs to stand on, and this government immediately takes action to show that it will not happen."

Shelah argued that the only way to replace Hamas is a plan involving Palestinian elements and international support.

Regarding the issue of Iran, he stated:

"There is a kind of dialogue going on here between the United States and Iran, and between them and the Gulf states that determine what happens. All this dialogue is taking place without Israel being a part of it. Israel has been moving around the Middle East for the last three years and bombing things, but it is completely irrelevant to the architecture and the balance of power in the Middle East. This is the true great blow of the current war."

When asked about the controversy surrounding Defense Minister Israel Katz and Central Command Chief Avi Bluth, he replied:

"This is a defense minister who simply does not know what his role is, what his authorities are, and what the relationship is between him and the echelon he is in charge of. He gets up in the morning, and for personal political reasons, he decides every day to act against the system whose safety and functioning he is entrusted with."