Middle East expert Yoni Ben Menachem stated in an interview with Channel 14 that “the only force that can topple Hamas is the IDF,” dismissing the possibility of a civilian uprising ending the terrorist organization’s violent rule over Gaza. According to him, despite reports of a “day of rage” in the Strip, Hamas rules with an iron fist and brutally suppresses any opposition. “You have to remember that most of the Gazan public is Hamas, more than 90 percent,” Ben Menachem stated, adding: “They may hate Hamas for what it does to them, but they hate Israel and the Jews more.”
1+Regarding negotiations for stable relations with Lebanon, Ben Menachem characterized reports of an Israeli withdrawal as “disinformation and fake news they’re spreading.” According to him, the talks underway in Washington are deadlocked due to fundamental disagreements and Lebanese refusal to assume genuine security responsibility. “The Lebanese army refuses to fight Hezbollah north of the Litani and only agrees to enter south of the river,” the expert revealed. He warned that the American administration might turn the pressure specifically on Jerusalem: “Trump won’t let this memorandum of understanding collapse and will pressure Israel to withdraw and compromise, and that’s a very serious thing.”
Ben Menachem also pointed to worrying signs of escalation on the Turkish front, against the backdrop of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s proposal to recognize the Armenian genocide. According to him, President Erdoğan isn’t hiding his ambitions to become a power that will replace Iran’s influence in the day after. “Erdoğan has a dream to conquer Jerusalem and enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Ben Menachem warned. He noted that Turkey is arming itself with strategic weapons and long-range missiles, and that recent policy moves toward Ankara require deep consideration by the government due to their security implications.
1+Ben Menachem summed up the situation with a sober view, calling on Israeli leadership not to rely on internal processes among the enemy or on international promises that aren’t anchored on the ground. According to him, Iranian pressure on Lebanon and Turkey’s imperial ambitions creates a ring of threats that requires military strength. “The Iranians are threatening that if Israel doesn’t withdraw from southern Lebanon, the entire agreement will collapse,” he explained.
The bottom line, he emphasizes, is that only a clear action against Hamas and preserving freedom of action in the north will ensure the state’s security against regional plots.