‘Israel wants to solve another problem with another war’, says Israeli journalist

We spoke to the Israeli journalist Gideon Levy, who’s a columnist for the Haaretz newspaper, and a longstanding critic of the Israeli government.

Cathy Newman: Gideon Levy, the Israeli government says this is a new phase of war. What do you think that looks like?

Gideon Levy: It looks like Israel wants a war. I mean, the messages that were sent yesterday and the day before in those thousands of devices was a very clear message. Israel wants a war and they want a regional war. There’s no other possible explanation for this.

Cathy Newman: It’s almost a year since the Hamas attacks. The hostages are still not home by and large. The northern residents on the border with Lebanon are still displaced. These are the justifications that the Israeli government is using. Is anyone buying that? [00:09:10][16.3]

Gideon Levy: In Israel, yes. Most of the Israelis are still supporting this war. But it’s quite astonishing that after this war – which didn’t achieve anything for Israel, as you rightly say, nothing was achieved for Israel – Israel is today in a much worse condition than before this war, and still Israel wants more of the same, another war to solve another problem with another war and only by war.

It’s really a very, very sick mindset. Instead of drawing the conclusion – we had now a war in Gaza, which was a catastrophe for both sides – the major thing would be, maybe we can’t solve everything by war. No, you see Israel now running to the north in order to create even worse war because a war in Lebanon will make the war in Gaza as a summer camp. Don’t be wrong about this.

Cathy Newman: Is there any possibility of averting that larger war, an even greater catastrophe, if that’s possible.

Gideon Levy: I don’t know how. I wish I could tell you a scenario. I don’t know how. Israel is very tough about it, Israel is not ready to stop the war in Gaza. If Hezbollah declared clearly, and today again, Nasrallah repeated that the key is stopping the war in Gaza and obviously pulling out the troops from Gaza. Israel is not ready for this. In other words, Israel wants war with Lebanon.

Cathy Newman: Israel has reportedly submitted a new ceasefire proposal. But the events of this week put paid to that, don’t they?

Gideon Levy: The events of this week, and I guess you referred to those two attacks in Lebanon. They are really wonderful for a nice Hollywood film. But when you really check it, it’s really impressive, Israel, no servicing and no supplying everyone. By the end of the day, two things must be said serious.

First of all, nobody knows what Israel gains out of it. And secondly, by the end of the day, let’s remember that those were terrorist actions. It was within civilian populations, not many were killed, but, you know, when people are being exploded in the middle of markets, if the Palestinians or the Hezbollah would have done it, Israel would shout ‘terror, terror’.

Cathy Newman: And when you look at the civilians killed, and children as well, where does that leave Israel in the eyes of the world?

Gideon Levy: They say you don’t need to wait for this. The world saw this last year in Gaza and draw the conclusions. The only problem is that the Israelis didn’t see this in Gaza because the media in Israel hardly show it to them. And the Israelis are still believing, most of them, if not all of them, that their army is the most moral army in the world and that we have the justification to do whatever we want after the atrocities on the 7th of October, which is totally wrong.

Cathy Newman: Hezbollah is now saying that it will mount a crushing response. Is there a lot of fear about what that will mean and what that will look like?

Gideon Levy: There is a concern. I wouldn’t say fear, but there is a growing concern. But this concern follows up for the last year. Each time from different direction. There is a very heavy cloud over our heads of all of us Israelis. Some take it for fear, others take it in shame. Others take it to really being concerned. Others see all this as an opportunity. Many Israelis, even tonight, speak about another war in Lebanon as an opportunity. After all the wars that Israel launched and none of that brought Israel any kind of achievements, security or anything else. Again, Israel wants another war. It’s really hard to understand.