In a commentary published in The Washington Post, writer Max Boot examines what he describes as a fundamental shift in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security doctrine in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, arguing that Israel’s pursuit of “absolute security” is increasingly undermining its long-term strategic position.
Boot opened by recalling founding Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion’s 1951 warning that military power alone cannot guarantee state security, stressing that durable safety depends on a genuine foreign policy of peace and regional accommodation.
He contrasts this with Netanyahu’s earlier political career, when the Israeli leader, according to Boot, still operated within a framework of restraint, maintaining elements of the Oslo process and favoring short, limited military operations aimed at deterrence rather than total destruction.
“Though Netanyahu was always a hawk, he was a cautious one. He undermined the Oslo Accords; he did not abandon them. In the past, when he waged wars, they were short ones, designed to “mow the grass,” not to eradicate the lawn. His most significant achievement was the 2020 Abraham Accords, establishing formal diplomatic relations with several Arab states, and he aspired to extend that rapprochement to Saudi Arabia,” The Washington Post’s columnist wrote.
According to Boot, the October 7 attack marked a decisive rupture. The shock and trauma of the assault, he said, pushed Israeli policy toward maximalist military objectives and a doctrine of retaliation across multiple theaters. Since then, ‘Israel’ has conducted operations not only in Gaza and the West Bank but also in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Iran. Netanyahu, Boot noted, has increasingly used expansive rhetoric promising to “obliterate” enemies and reshape the regional map.
Boot argued that this shift has backfired strategically. Rather than enhancing security, Tel Aviv’s widening military footprint is, in his view, overextending its forces, increasing international isolation, and deepening dependence on the United States. He cited reporting that US military support has been critical in sustaining Israeli defenses, particularly in confrontations involving Iran, underscoring what he described as a “contradiction with Israel’s traditional doctrine of self-reliance.”
“Netanyahu lobbied for the war, but he has lost control of it. His ally, President Donald Trump, has sidelined Netanyahu from peace negotiations and tries to humiliate the proud prime minister by saying, “He’ll do whatever I want him to do.” Last month, Trump forced Israel to accept a ceasefire in Lebanon that Netanyahu plainly did not want. A new US-Iran deal is likely to bring a reprise,” Boot stated.
The article also highlighted the limits of Israeli military achievements. Boot pointed to continued instability in Gaza despite heavy operations, the persistent operational capacity of Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Iran’s ability to recover from strikes more quickly than expected. He further referenced internal Israeli military assessments warning of severe strain on the armed forces due to prolonged multi-front engagements.
“Incurring widespread enmity might be worth it if Israel were actually achieving the absolute security that Netanyahu seeks. But it isn’t. Israel has occupied more than half the Gaza Strip, but Hamas still controls nearly all the population. Israel carried out a brilliant operation in 2024 using exploding pagers and airstrikes to eliminate much of the Hezbollah leadership, but the terrorist group remains a potent threat. Israeli troops are now mired in what appears to be a long-term occupation of southern Lebanon that is leaving them vulnerable to Hezbollah drone strikes. And CNN reports that, following more than a month of Israeli-American airstrikes, Iran’s military is reconstituting much faster than initially estimated,” the columnist wrote.
⚡️🇺🇸🇮🇷 CNN: U.S. intelligence assessments indicate Iran has already restarted parts of its drone production during the six week ceasefire that began in early April, with officials saying Tehran is rebuilding some military capabilities faster than initially expected.
— Global Surveillance (@Globalsurv) May 21, 2026
Iran is also… pic.twitter.com/uHyBqa45ee
On the diplomatic front, Boot noted declining US public support for ‘Israel’, citing polling data showing increased American sympathy toward Palestinians and growing unfavorable views of ‘Israel’. He also criticized actions by elements within the Israeli government that he said have contributed to international backlash.
Boot concluded that Netanyahu’s current strategy reflects an attempt to pursue regional dominance that is not sustainable for a small state facing a large and complex region. He argued that instead of achieving greater security, ‘Israel’ risks long-term erosion of its strategic strength, echoing Ben-Gurion’s original warning that military force alone cannot secure the state.
Source: The Washington Post edited by Al-manar website