Benjamin Netanyahu | op-ed |24-june-2024
Introduction
In the world of geopolitics, war and power hold the central theme. War and Power seems to be two different entities, when people use these terms in their routinely discussions. But in the eyes of statesmen, military strategists, diplomats and political analysts war and power go hand in gloves with one another. In a situation of war, nations always rely on its power in the form of military troops, ammunitions and global influence.
When we discuss about war and its relevance with the power, a chain of horrible events comes in our minds. Of them, the two deadliest wars –WWI and WWII– precede every wary event of history. These catastrophic events, which took millions of human lives, instill fear in our minds.
The world, however, took a sigh of relief with the end Cold War between two mighty powers-USA and USSR- of that time, which were busying in fighting a war of dominance for over five decades. By the end of Cold War in 1991, it was thought that statesmen would take a lesson from these horrible events and shun to opt any frenzy behavior in the future. Contrarily, what is happening in contemporary world, of technological innovations, is proving us wrong in the way we thought. The unending quest for power, in both human and nations, make war a constant phenomenon in human history, and belligerents personalities, in the form of Benjamin Netanyahu, are reviving the legacy of power wars.
Power Wars in Human History
The story of Power War is as old as history itself. The first of this kind of war that is in the record of human history is The Peloponnesian War, it was the war between Athens and Spartans in the ancient Greece, hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus Christ. In the late 11th century, power wars were fought in the form of Crusades, that is a series of military expeditions between Islamic Empire and The Holy Roman Empires in response to Muslims expansionism all over the world. The year 1648, which holds paramount importance in the European History, when The Thirty Years War between European Powers ended with the Peace Treaty of Westphalia, which resulted in the establishment of nation-states. The rise of Napoleon in France and shifting alliances of other European Powers constitute a 23 years’ recurrent conflicts in the name of Napoleonic Wars that ends with the abdication of Napoleon, after Battle of Waterloo, were some of the instances of power war in human history. The story does not end here. In the 20th century, the human history had witnessed two deadliest events in the form of WWI and WWII. These two horrible events not only engulf millions of lives but also make the world busy for next five decades in long-term conflict in the name of Cold War between two mighty powers of that time, namely USA and USSR. This decade long rivalry between two superpowers dragged other nations into battleground, even it was not their battle at all. Moving ahead, The Afghan War and The War in Iraq were amongst the series of Power Wars that have happened in modern age of technology, in the 21st century.
Nations’ Quest for Power: An Unending Phenomena
In his book ‘The Great Power Tragedy’ John J. Mearsheimer posits” The sad fact is that international politics has always been a ruthless and dangerous business, and it is likely to remain that way.” In the realm of International Relations, Realistic school of thought emphasis the conflictual and competitive side of international politics. The realist thinkers of old times, like Thucydides, Nicollo Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, to that of our times, like John Mearsheimer, propounded that the acquisition of power is in the top priority of nations.
From the realistic point of view, power and war are at the core of world politics, whereas morality has no relation to politics at all in an anarchical world. Perhaps this is why war has been so common throughout recorded history.
From the power war between Athens and Spartans in prehistoric times to a US led military invasion in Afghanistan and Iraq in the 21st century, the quest for power and the war as a tool to gain supremacy holds central attention in realistic paradigm. In modern era, the wars that are happening in the form of Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Israel’s declaration of war against Hamas and onslaught in Gaza after October 7 have their roots in nations’ quest for power.
Power Wars and Personalities
As explained earlier, for a common person, war and power seems to be two different terms, which hold no relation to another. However, statesmen and military strategists, as head of a country and as a commander of armed troops, wear different glasses and see the interlinkage of power and war. For them, war and power are inseparable to one another. When we talk about Power Wars, it is not just about nations, that are fighting for their survival and security. In fact, power wars are more about personalities who take decision to resort to war rather than using diplomatic forums to negotiate and collaborate to effectively navigate any military situation. Personalities like, Alexander the Great, who conquered all of the world in ancient Greek and threw many empires like Persian Empire for the aim of gaining prominence and power through wars; Julius Cesar, a superb politician and military general, in the time of 100 BC-44BC changed the course of Roman history; Napoleon Bonaparte, who was a French military leader and emperor conquered much of Europe in the early 19th century and successfully waged war against various coalitions of European nations and expanded his empire, upon achieving power; Adolf Hitler smashed the nation’s democratic institutions and transformed Germany into a frenzy state and intent on conquering Europe for the benefit of the so-called Aryan race, his invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, triggered the European phase of World War II. All of these personalities justify the stance that power war is in the legacy of humans.
Benjamin Netanyahu: Reinvigorating the Power Wars
In today’s interconnected world, with advanced technological tools and heightened awareness of their rights, choosing a path of power struggles is seen as a challenging course for leaders to pursue. With the right movements, emerging in both East and West, that are outspoken about adherence to democratic norms, prevalence of human rights and rule of law and order, it is very onerous job for decision makers to opt militaristic approach. However, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu is perpetuating the legacy of power struggles to persist. When George W Bush plotted the invasion of Iraq, they shut out all discussions with a statement, “The intended demonstration of American power could not be jeopardized by awkward questions as to the shape of the Middle Eastern landscape after the guns fell quiet.” The rest we know. Benjamin Netanyahu has taken much the same approach in the war against Hamas. The Israeli prime minister is dragging out war to prevent the collapse of his fragile right wing coalition and extend his time in office and remain in power. At now, Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting two parallel battles, one in Gaza and other at home. In Gaza, he is fighting war to defeat Hamas and to free the remaining Israeli hostages captured during October 7 attacked on Israel. This asymmetric war, until now, took lives of more than 35000 people, including innocent children and women. Whereas, at home, he is fighting to secure his short-term survival and long-term legacy. Benjamin Netanyahu — who’s served longer than any other Israeli leader, after 17 years in power — has found a formula for success. The formula is straightforward: become a war hero in the eyes of your own people, and you can remain in power for as long as you wish. The paradox of Hamas’s attack is that it has underlined how power is inextricably linked to a war, how war remains a constant theme and belligerent leaders like, Benjamin Netanyahu, keeps on reviving the legacy of power wars.
Next Up: Stability-Instability Paradox; Post-Nuclearization Era of Pakistan and India
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