Gideon Levy, an Israeli journalist and long-time critic of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, argues that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza with full US complicity, and that the wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran serve no achievable strategic purpose—only the perpetuation of violence itself.
He describes Israel as a regional superpower enabled by unconditional US military and political support, which has allowed it to act without restraint for decades.
Levy believes Israel is on the verge of a historic rupture in US support—not in 5–10 years, but possibly within months—as even Donald Trump may begin conditioning aid, and future presidents will likely do so more forcefully.
Europe, he says, is already hostile in public opinion but paralyzed without US leadership; once Washington shifts, European policy will follow.
This dependence makes the potential loss of US backing an existential threat to Israel—more dangerous, in his view, than Iran’s nuclear program.
The Wars in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran Have No Clear Goals
Levy asserts that Israel’s wars are not driven by coherent strategy but by ideology, habit, and political survival—especially for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In Gaza, he says the real aim is not to defeat Hamas but to crush Palestinian society entirely—destroying institutions, infrastructure, and hope—so that people will eventually leave.
Israel opposes any governance solution: not Hamas, not the Palestinian Authority, not international forces—only chaos and displacement.
He points to the 1948 Nakba as a “successful” precedent: 600,000 Palestinians expelled, villages erased, history erased—and most Israelis remain unaware or indifferent.
In Lebanon, Israel is destroying villages daily with no stated objective, killing soldiers and civilians alike in what Levy calls a war “for nothing.”
In Iran, Netanyahu’s lifelong goal of military confrontation has been achieved through Trump, but none of the stated aims—regime change, nuclear disarmament, missile destruction—are achievable.
Levy argues Netanyahu continues pushing for escalation not because it works, but because admitting failure would mean abandoning his life’s ideology.
Israeli Society Is in Deep Denial
Levy describes a society that refuses to confront its own actions, sustained by media complicity, historical myth, and psychological denial.
Most Israelis do not know or care what is happening in Gaza or the West Bank—despite living minutes away.
Israeli media, though technically free, avoids covering the occupation to avoid upsetting audiences; Levy claims viewers in Nebraska see more of Gaza than residents of Tel Aviv.
Example: A seven-month-old baby shot dead by an Israeli soldier in a car full of family members was reported as a minor “incident” with no accountability.
After October 7, 2023, Israel embraced a narrative of total victimhood, believing it now has “the right to do whatever we want.”
Polls showing 93% support for war with Iran reflect not informed consent but automatic rallying around the flag—a pattern repeated in every conflict.
Peace agreements, by contrast, never enjoy such support; the national mindset is “living by the sword.”
The US Is a Full Partner in What Happens
Levy rejects the idea that the US is a passive or reluctant ally—it is an active enabler with full moral responsibility.
Every president since Truman has provided unconditional support, including Barack Obama, whose military aid to Israel was the largest in history despite his rhetoric.
The US could end settlements with a single phone call tying aid to a freeze—but never has.
If what’s happening in Gaza is genocide (as Levy believes), then the US is a co-perpetrator.
He dismisses the idea that pro-Israel lobbying alone explains this support—it’s deeper, more structural, and remains a “mystery” even to him.
There Is No Viable Alternative Vision Within Israel
The Israeli left offers no real alternative: it clings to a two-state solution that Levy says is already dead, while the right openly pursues expulsion.
The Zionist left opposes current policies but offers no plan for the 7–12 million Palestinians living between the river and the sea.
Meanwhile, the radical right—settlers, fascists, ideologues—are the only ones with a clear (if monstrous) vision: ethnic cleansing, however impractical.
Proposed destinations for expelled Palestinians (Somalia, Eritrea, etc.) have gone nowhere; no country will accept millions.
Levy fears Palestinians may end up like Native Americans—scattered, stripped of identity, confined to reservations.
Personal Cost and Historical Roots of Levy’s Views
Levy is increasingly isolated in Israel: excluded from TV panels, shouted at during morning jogs, and abandoned by former friends after October 7.
Yet he remains committed to staying—he was born here, his parents were Holocaust survivors who found refuge here, and all his memories are rooted in this land.
His awakening came not from ideology but from reporting: beginning in the late 1980s, he traveled to the West Bank and Gaza and witnessed the occupation firsthand.
He believes any Israeli who saw what he saw would reach the same conclusions—but most choose not to look.
He traces today’s violence not to Netanyahu alone but to the foundational logic of Zionism itself—the same methods used in 1948 continue today.
Figures like Meir Kahana were once ostracized; now his ideological successors (like Smotrich and Ben Gvir) hold power and are celebrated.
The difference is not in Israeli behavior but in its legitimization: racism and sadism are now mainstream.
Conclusion: A Society That Cannot Learn From Itself
Levy sees no hope for change within the current system—not because people are evil, but because denial is the only way to sustain the status quo.
As long as Israel refuses to ask why the world hates it, as long as it blames antisemitism instead of its own actions, it will continue down a dark path.
He ends not with optimism but with attachment: this is his home, and he will stay—even as it breaks his heart.
