A former head of Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security agency, Ami Ayalon, publicly challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for committing a dirty deal, abandoning the hostages in Gaza for extending his time in office. In an April 29 op-ed in Britain’s The Guardian, Ayalon stated:
“The truth is that our hostages in Gaza have been abandoned in favor of the government’s messianic ideology and by a prime minister in Benjamin Netanyahu who is desperate to cling to power for his own personal gain. Our government is undermining the democratic functions of the state to shore up and protect its own power. It is forcing us into a perpetual war with no achievable military objectives, which can only result in more loss of life and hatred.”
He claimed that 70% of the Israeli public supports “a comprehensive end to the war in return for bringing our hostages home, and an election as soon as possible so that this government can be replaced.” He cited the thousands of military and intelligence personnel have signed petitions and letters demanding an end to the Israeli war in Gaza and the return of Israeli captives. Almost 150,000 Israelis have signed such petitions. Ayalon, who was also a former commander-in-chief of Israel’s navy, praised the 36 Board of Deputies members for their bravery in writing a letter, published in Financial Times, critical of the Netanyahu government’s conduct over the Gaza war.
