TEHRAN (FNA)- Shir Hever, independent economic researcher and journalist, says Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister, tries to achieve symbolic victories and makes big boasts, but avoids all-out wars for fear of Hezbollah's military power.
In an exclusive interview with FNA, Dr. Hever said Netanyahu expects Israelis to accept living in poverty with an eroding living standards in a bid to enable him spend more on the military.
Dr. Shir Hever is an independent economic researcher based at the Alternative Information Centre in Jerusalem al-Quds. He studies the economic aspects of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory. He is also a journalist at the Real News Network.
Below is the full text of the interview:
Q: Following the US’s assassination of Iran’s General Qassem Soleimani, Israel Katz, the Israeli Minister of Intelligence and Foreign Affairs, made tweets implying that Israel would assassinate Seyed Hassan Nasrallah. How do you view this threat? Do you believe Israeli public, cabinet (political deadlock) and above all, its economy, are ready for another tension, this time with Hezbollah and Iran?
A: If you examine the Israeli foreign policy under Prime Minister Netanyahu, it is very clear that Netanyahu always tried to avoid real wars or escalations and focus on symbolic or extravagant assassinations that he thought would not escalate out of control. He did not always succeed. Now, however, the situation is different. Severe corruption charges were pressed against Netanyahu, and he may have to stand trial and go to jail.
Therefore, several Israeli journalists have pointed out that he might resort to war in order to distract from his corruption cases and make a desperate bid for popular support.
Israelis know Hassan Nasrallah very well, and they fear him because of his confidence and because of the capabilities of the Hezbollah. They also remember, however, that in 1992 Nasrallah became Hezobllah’s chairman after the Israeli military assassinated Mussawi, who was much less hostile towards the state of Israel than Nasrallah.
Q: Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics reports Over 27% of EMPLOYED Israelis are NOT capable of making ends meet. Meanwhile, a report by Latet (NGO) puts the number of Israelis living in poverty at 2.3 million, over one-million of them children. Why are resources not used to bring down the poverty rate instead of being invested in walls, prisons and the military?
A: We should look back at 2014, a year in which the growing boycott movement (BDS) was making inroads and was discussed at length in the Israeli media, as the Kerry peace initiative collapsed. After two years of social protests (2011 and 2012) Israelis were demanding a better standard of living and more socially responsible policies, but the government knew that politicians who got elected through their image of strong security people cannot be re-elected if they change direction and start investing in social equality – they will be replaced by better politicians from the left.
Netanyahu promised to reduce the defense budget that year, but after the invasion of Gaza of that summer the budget talks were about increasing the defense budget instead. When journalists asked him about that, he answered “what is more important, the quality of life, or life itself?” – In other words, Netanyahu and his government expect people to accept poverty and inequality because the alternative would be to take away resources from security and risk death.
Q: It is said war is good for politics; but, the economic outcome does not necessarily correspond with the political outcome. How do you view Israel’s policy in this regard?
A: I do not agree that it is so simple. The generals (mostly the ex-generals) in Israel actually oppose Netanyahu’s government. Even though they believe in violence as a way to solve political problems, they see Netanyahu’s politics as populistic. Indeed, Netanyahu is not waging war against Iran, Lebanon or Syria, he just makes big boasts and statements.
Instead of deepening the Israeli control over the Palestinian population, the populist Netanyahu government is trying to achieve symbolic victories, to humiliate Palestinians and treat them as inferior, in a way that actually only makes the Palestinian uprising against the Israeli apartheid stronger.
And the same thing is happening in the economy: the Israeli government boasts that it is defeating the BDS movement, that it is signing major deals to sell natural gas and that big Israeli corporations are succeeding all over the world. In reality, the standard of living of Israelis is eroding, young educated people are leaving the country and the poverty is increasing. What matters to the populist right-wing is not the facts, but the image.
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