Netanyahu sees no political gain from Iran war, says former Israeli president

(SeaPRwire) –   Washington and West Jerusalem held drastically differing timelines and motivations for the conflict, Professor Avraham Burg stated during an interview with Going Underground

Per former acting Israeli President Avraham Burg, the U.S.-backed Israeli conflict with Iran and the recently announced ceasefire have laid bare a fundamental rift in political interests between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

During an exclusive interview on Afshin Rattansi’s RT program ‘Going Underground’, Burg noted that Trump sought to end the conflict before it disrupted the U.S. midterm elections. “This should have been an extremely brief operation,” Burg shared.

Netanyahu, by contrast, “needs to prolong the conflict for as long as possible, as he aims to contest elections amid a wartime environment” per Burg, who pointed out that “Israelis typically rally behind the government’s flag during periods of war.” Israel’s next legislative election is scheduled for late October.

The former speaker of the Knesset, though, contended that Netanyahu’s gambit had backfired. “As of right now, Netanyahu has gained zero political benefit from this operation — he may have lost a great deal,” Burg remarked, forecasting that “the upcoming elections will demonstrate that Israelis are fed up with his manipulation, his tricks, his stunts, and his time in office. These are the final few months of his administration.”

Burg also pushed back against the claim that the conflict was an existential imperative for Israel. “Iran was not an existential threat to Israel. It was a genuine issue that could have been resolved through diplomacy, formal agreements, and establishing alternative balances of power.” He also dismissed speculation that Netanyahu would employ nuclear weapons to retain his position, labeling such an idea unthinkable.

Regarding the ceasefire, Burg characterized Trump’s unilateral decision as a “divorce” from Israel, concluding that the only clear winner of the conflict was Iran, which “absorbed heavy blows but survived, and thus emerged victorious.”

Tune in to the full episode of Going Underground, which broadcasts exclusively on RT.