Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister of the occupying State of Israel,
Peace to those who follow the path of wisdom, empathy and humanity.
More than six weeks have passed since your ruthless aggression against the unarmed but resilient people of Gaza. I write this open letter to you today to express my heartfelt thanks and appreciation for you for this unwise action. This has inadvertently served the just cause of Palestine, pushing it towards the right solution—a sovereign and independent Palestinian state on its rightful land.
The purpose of this open letter is not to discuss the objectives of your ruthless campaign against the brave Palestinians of Gaza and the West Bank, as despite your allegedly declared goals of “eradicating the resistance movement” and “securing the release of your hostages”, the international community now firmly believes that your true ambitions transcend these mere pretenses.
Your ultimate goal relies within your sadistic obsession of obliterating the Palestinian cause, employing an insidious strategy of ethnically cleansing the Palestinian population and obliterating Gaza entirely. Your intent is to forcibly uproot its rightful inhabitants, the true owners of the land, and relocate them to Sinai as an initial step. This malicious approach sets the stage for implementing the same strategy upon the Palestinian population in the West Bank and other cities in subsequent stages.
This reprehensible agenda has been openly declared by you and several of your extremist government partners, resolute in your conviction of the Jewish character of your state, all in alignment with a blueprint crafted by your predecessors 52 years ago in 1971, which aimed to deport the Palestinians in Gaza to Egypt’s Al-Arish. This agenda has also been substantiated by British documents exposed in a BBC report last October. The matter is unequivocal and requires no interpretation.
Your economic pursuits are equally clear; establishment of the “Ben Gurion Canal” linking the Ashdod port to Eilat, poised to stand as a substitute to the Suez Canal, as explained over 50 years ago by the late Thougan Al-Hindawi in his book “The Palestinian Cause” (Al Qadiyeh Al Falastinyeh). Furthermore, your objective extends to gaining control over Gaza’s vast natural gas reserves within the “Gaza Marine” field, situated opposite the Strip and harboring more than one trillion cubic feet of natural gas, as affirmed by the United Nations Organization for Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
I also shall not dwell on the narratives with which you unsuccessfully endeavor to mislead international opinion, be it the “condemnation’ of October 7 events”, the matter of “who initiated hostilities”, or even the issues of “self-defense’ and ‘anti-Semitism”. These are facade narratives you desperately employ to rationalize the heinous war crimes, massacres, and genocidal acts you are perpetrating against a civilian population.
Let it be unequivocally known that all Muslims, as His Majesty King Abdullah has emphatically asserted, condemn terrorism and the indiscriminate killing of all civilians, regardless of their race, nationality, or faith. We unwaveringly adhere to the teachings of our faith, which commands us against such acts, a doctrine embodied more than 1,400 years ago in ‘Umar’s Assurance’ (Al Uhda Al Umariyya). This doctrine expressly forbids the targeting of any civilian, whether an elder, woman, man, or child, and even extends to the protection of trees.
Our struggle, as you are well aware, did not commence on October 7, as Her Majesty Queen Rania rightly pointed out. It commenced over seven decades ago, a span marked by continued injustice, humiliation, oppression, murder, forced displacement, and annexation, all while acknowledging the internationally recognized right of an occupied people to defend themselves against those who have unlawfully annexed their land, perpetrated atrocities against their people and displaced them.
Netanyahu, the objective of this open letter to you, as highlighted in its introduction, is to extend gratitude for your actions, whether driven by ignorance or conscious intent, and their positive impact on reorienting the Palestinian cause back onto its rightful track. Regrettably, over the past three decades, you have successfully diverted it from this path. However, through your misguided actions, unwavering fanaticism, and a trail of bloodshed, you and your extremist partners have, ironically steered it back onto its correct course.
On the global front (governments and people), you have effectively reinstated the Palestinian cause at the forefront of international attention. In the past two months, headlines in every corner of the world have ceaselessly highlighted the ongoing events in Palestine. Moreover, an astonishing 5,200 major demonstrations have unfolded worldwide, some in unprecedented scales, including over 900 rallies across Washington DC, New York City, and various American states, more than 450 in London, Manchester and other British cities, and 240 in French and German cities, despite imposed bans. An additional 2,400 marches took place in Arab and Muslim nations. Countless discussions, interviews, and analyses have grappled with the humanitarian, political, military, and economic aspects of these ongoing events, featuring influential figures who have passionately condemned the relentless massacres you are perpetrating.
The Palestinian right to establish an independent state is now a global topic of conversation, with many drawing parallels between the atrocities inflicted on the defenseless civilians of Gaza and those suffered by your own ancestors during World War II. Netanyahu, I extend my thanks to you for accomplishing what we, as Arabs and Muslims, constantly failed to achieve over the past decades, plunging your state into its darkest moral and political downfall in its history.
Netanyahu, it was your recent acts of violence that thrust the need for a two-state solution back into the international spotlight. While you demonstrate indifference to the opinions of global populations, we are certain that you cannot dismiss the influence of public sentiment on political leaders, some of which are your key allies. The change in the stances of some of your main supporters in the US, UK, France and Germany is a testament to this fact. Initially, they voiced unequivocal support for your brutal aggression, but today they oppose you, both in the manner in which you are conducting your aggression and in your post-war strategy; particularly, President Biden’s vision of unifying the West Bank and Gaza Strip after the war ends and the imperative to revive the two-state solution.
In the realm of military operations, despite a death toll exceeding 15,000, the majority of whom were children and women, and the utter devastation of Gaza’s infrastructure, you have, after more than 50 days, failed to achieve your stated objectives of eradicating Palestinian resistance, curtailing its capabilities, or securing the release of your hostages. The resilience and potency of the resistance remain evident through the substantial losses suffered by your invading forces on a daily basis, the ability to launch missiles deep into Israel, the disruption of normal daily life, economic activities, air and sea transportation, and educational institutions. One should also mention that your Israel is currently witnessing the most significant migration movement since its establishment – this itself is an unprecedented victory for the resistance and all Palestinians.
Economically, your approach has pushed your Israel’s economy to the brink of collapse, marking its most dire point in the 75 years since its establishment. This persists despite the unwavering economic and military support you receive from the US. The direct costs of your reckless war on Gaza have already exceeded $20 billion, amounting to roughly $500 million per day. This does not account for the indirect costs inflicted upon your state’s economy, which include the recall of 350,000 workers across various economic sectors (constituting approximately 10% of the total workforce in the occupying state) and the suspension of permits for 140,000 Palestinian laborers who previously worked there.
These economic upheavals have resulted in a sharp decline in GDP growth, plummeting from the anticipated 4% to less than 2%. Over the span of just one month, direct government revenues have dropped by a staggering 15.2% due to deferred taxes. Your once-thriving tourism sector has crumbled, with tourist numbers dwindling to less than 80,000 visitors in October 2023, a stark contrast to the 380,000 and 480,000 visitors during the same month in 2022 and 2019, respectively.
The war has further disrupted civil aviation at your international airports, especially Ben Gurion International Airport, and impeded operations at your seaports, notably the port of Ashdod. Additionally, it has halted the production of Palestinian gas from the “Tamar” field, leading to a 30% surge in electricity prices and a 70% plummet in gas exports. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange’s TASE 35 index has declined by a daunting 25% since the onset of the conflict, currently becoming the worst in the world. Notably, the Israeli Central Bank’s efforts to inject approximately $50 billion into the economy since October 9th, aimed at stabilizing Shekel exchange rates, have proven futile, as the statistics released thus far indicate.
Netanyahu, whether the war concludes swiftly or persists over an extended period, the catastrophic repercussions on Israel’s economy will endure long before any semblance of stability is restored. Despite the unparalleled support from the US, historical patterns suggest that Israel is ill-equipped to endure wars that demand patience in terms of bearing their consequences and economic impacts, much like the current situation on military and political fronts. Consequently, a full economic recovery will necessitate a medium to long-term approach, one that involves an expanded role for your state within its own economy, disrupting its structure and fabric.
In terms of your global image, the images of severed bodies of hundreds and thousands of blown-up children and women, broadcast live around the clock in recent weeks have inflicted a severe blow to your ‘moral standing’. You exacerbated this decline through your government’s media performance, which can only be described as transitioning from “disastrous” to “absurd” or even “ludicrous.” This includes the unfounded claim of 40 beheaded children, which you deceived President Biden with, allegations of sexual assaults, the faked “Palestinian” nurse, an Israeli “blogger” who falsely warned of resistance presence in Al-Shifa Hospital, and the narrative surrounding the Baptist Hospital bombing. There’s also the “curious” case of Kalashnikov machine guns purportedly concealed behind an MRI x-ray imaging machine!!! Not to forget the elaborate depiction of a supposed “resistance command center” beneath Al-Shifa Hospital, which after its occupation by your forces, yielded no evidence. Lastly, your army spokesman, Daniel Hagari, referred to Arabic calendar days of the week as the names of resistance members and their roles!!!.
Your recurrent errors in publishing such media blunders, only to remove them hours later, have eroded your global credibility, even among your staunchest supporters, including CNN, BBC, and Sky News. They’ve since begun presenting balanced documentaries and investigations on the events in Gaza, vividly highlighting the suffering of Palestinians under your occupation.
Your scandalous media performance has even alienated prominent international journalists known for their historical support for Israel, including Wolf Blitzer, John Stewart, Piers Morgan, Miko Peled, and many others. Additionally, the fact that more than 750 media figures and journalists in the US signed a petition denouncing your criminal aggression against Gaza and demanding thorough coverage of these crimes attests to the substantial blow your image has endured.
Furthermore, the inflammatory statements from extremist members of your government, such as Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich advocating for the displacement of Palestinians to neighboring Arab countries, have cast further doubt on the motives behind your ongoing aggression. Notably, your extremist ‘heritage’ minister, Amihai Eliyahu, raised the disturbing specter of striking Gaza with a nuclear bomb, potentially revealing your covert possession of nuclear weapons, a revelation that could warrant international legal scrutiny and accountability.
In regard to your adherence to international law, Netanyahu, you have failed on all counts. The heinous acts you have committed, resulting in the deaths of over 15,000 civilian martyrs, with a significant number being women and children, and which persist to this day, can be unequivocally classified as genocide and war crimes. Your imposition of a land, sea, and air siege on the Gaza Strip and its inhabitants constitutes a war crime. The denial of food, water, medicine, and fuel to 2.5 million people during the conflict amounts to collective punishment and represents a war crime. Your indiscriminate and intense carpet-bombing of an unarmed civilian population is a war crime. The forced displacement of one million people from their homes during the conflict is a war crime. Your deliberate targeting of hospitals, forcing them out of service, and occupying them constitute war crimes. The use of internationally prohibited weapons, such as phosphorous incendiary bombs, is a war crime. Your intentional targeting of medical personnel, ambulances, journalists, and their families are war crimes. All of these atrocities have been meticulously documented with evidence including severed body parts, mass graves, photographs, audio recordings, and witness testimonies, broadcasted globally around the clock.
Netanyahu, the events of the ongoing conflict give the impression that you and your government, along with your security apparatus, have systematically reviewed the 1949 Geneva Conventions pertaining to the protection of civilians during armed conflicts and various associated protocols, only to deliberately violate each provision, clause by clause. It appears that you have used these protocols as a blueprint for formulating your aggressive actions, with the hope of escaping accountability for the multitude of WAR CRIMES you have committed.
However, this time, your actions have not gone unnoticed, as the entire world is closely monitoring the situation. The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, has acknowledged receiving a joint request from five countries to investigate war crimes in the Palestinian territories. Furthermore, esteemed French lawyer Gilles Devers has revealed that more than 300 international lawyers have submitted a petition to the ICC officially accusing ‘Israel’ of committing war crimes, including acts that amount to genocide as defined by international law. Additionally, Bar Associations in numerous Arab and Muslim countries have pledged to take similar actions.
Netanyahu, I am well aware that state is not a member of the ICC and reject its authority, which, in the eyes of many countries and peoples around the world, paints Israel as a rogue state flouting international law. However, it’s crucial to remember that war crimes, as you may know, are not bound by a statute of limitations. Justice, no matter how challenging or protracted, must ultimately prevail. You demonstrated this commitment when you pursued Nazi war criminals responsible for atrocities against your ancestors’ decades after the conclusion of World War II. A day will come when you, your Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, your Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and all those who played a role in your criminal decisions will stand trial. History invariably illustrates that the path to justice, however long and arduous, ultimately prevails, and that process has already begun.
Domestically, your people find themselves in a state of anger, fear, and division, marking the darkest phase since the establishment of Israel more than seven decades ago. “King Bibi”, once celebrated for his craftiness and ability to retain power for over three decades, is no longer perceived in the same light. Today, your citizens are incensed by your detrimental military and security failures, be it in predicting or repelling the resistance’s attack on October 7, achieving your stated objectives of eradicating the resistance or even weakening it, or securing the release of your hostages.
This anger has been brewing even before your recent aggression, fueled by allegations of corruption and persistent attempts to undermine Israel’s judicial system. Your people now grapple with a deep-seated fear concerning their future, as they witness the severe security and economic crises engulfing their state. Society is deeply divided, torn between extremists advocating for more extremism, genocide, and displacement (an increasingly prevalent majority, regrettably), and a rational minority seeking a comprehensive, long-term solution aimed at de-escalation and the pursuit of moderate, holistic, and sustainable resolutions. Netanyahu, you are witnessing a period of reverse migration and a nebulous political future, one that even your allies and friends deem doomed.
Regarding your relationship with Jordan and our internal Jordanian dynamics, in 2019, you publicly declared that the peace treaty with Jordan held no significance for you. You asserted that there had never been genuine reconciliation between Israel and Jordan and that your state’s relationship with Jordan had always rested on military might rather than friendship. Netanyahu, you were accurate in your assessment. You deliberately allowed this treaty, much like the Oslo Accords, to languish in a state of clinical death for three decades. You culminated this by embarking on your sadistic expansionist plan, attacking the Palestinian population in Gaza with the aim of ethnically cleansing and displacing them, all as a prelude to repeating the same scenario with the Palestinians in the West Bank, whom you intend to relocate to Jordan. The response from Jordan was swift, articulating your intentions, plans, and expansionist ambitions while condemning the war crimes, genocide and ethnic cleansing you are perpetrating in eloquent terms. The Jordanian leadership enjoys global respect, stature, credibility, and trustworthiness, embodying wisdom and moderation—qualities that remain elusive in your leadership.
Jordan’s “defensive cards”, remain well within the grasp of its leadership, which has started deploying them since you initiated your sinister expansionist plan. The vocalization of Jordan’s unwavering stance, the withdrawal of the ambassador, and the refusal to sign the Energy-for-Water agreement represent the initial steps, with more undoubtedly in store. Jordanians stand united behind their leader, ready to make sacrifices to safeguard their homeland, honour, national unity and harmony. Netanyahu, the unity of official and popular positions in Jordan against your ongoing aggression fills us with pride. Thank you very much for that!
Netanyahu, at this juncture, your options have dwindled, and all available paths entail negative consequences for you. The war could either prolong and expand further, resulting in even greater human losses among your occupying forces and exacerbating your already substantial economic losses—challenges you may find unbearable. Alternatively, the window of opportunity granted by the US for your criminal aggression against Gaza may close, as widespread demonstrations and protests surge both within the US and worldwide, condemning your war and the support extended to it by their governments. In such a scenario, you would be compelled to cease your offensive before achieving your stated objectives, another adverse outcome from your standpoint.
Regarding post-war scenarios, “The Day After”, the entire world is now discussing the imperative of reviving the two-state solution, a prospect you have diligently impeded for decades. We earnestly hope that the world succeeds in this endeavor, as it would render you the loser, given your opposition and strenuous efforts to prevent it thus far.
Conversely, if the world fails to revive the two-state solution, the only remaining option would be the “one state” solution, encompassing the entirety of historic Palestine, extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River—a vision of an “Abrahamic State” for all its inhabitants, comprising Muslims, Jews, and Christians. This would present two possible trajectories. It could evolve into an apartheid state, universally shunned and perpetually threatened on the security front, or it could transform into a democratic state for all residents. In any
case, your extremist Zionist ideology and you, Netanyahu, would emerge as losers. You deliberately set in motion the events that have led us to this point, but now find yourself uncertain of how to navigate the situation.
Netanyahu, you and your fascist government partners are no longer the greatest enemies of the Palestinian people, Jordan (its leadership and people), Egypt, the Arab and Muslim nations, and peace-loving people worldwide only. You have also become the primary source of embarrassment for your allies across the globe, particularly the US government. Moreover, you are, above all, the worst enemies of yourselves and your own people. You, your allies, and many rational members of your society, even within your deep state, recognize this fact.
Netanyahu, I extend to you once again my sincere thanks, gratitude, and disregard.