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Should Israel have waited before invading Gaza?
Could Israel have waited longer to start its war in Gaza?
On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer asked former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak if Israel had fallen into a trap in the way it’s fighting the war against Hamas. In the last month, there’s been a shift away from sympathy for Israel in the wake of October 7th and a growing criticism of its tactics in Gaza. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes, hundreds of thousands more have fled their homes, and Israel’s total blockade has prevented desperately needed humanitarian aid from reaching civilians.
Barak believes that Israel could have gotten more aid in sooner but also says that it’s determined to destroy Hamas, arguing that waiting longer would have put them at a disadvantage militarily. But the former prime minister does concede that Israel’s current government needs to be realistic about what they can achieve in Gaza.
“I have a question mark about our own tactics,” Barak says, “I think there is a gap between what the military armed forces understand and the objectives at the political level.”
Watch the episode: Is an Israel-Palestine two-state solution possible?
Catch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer every week at gzeromedia.com/gzeroworld or on US public television. Check local listings.
How Netanyahu used Hamas to avoid talks of a two-state solution
Israel’s government doesn’t want a two-state solution with Palestine, according to the former prime minister.
On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer sits down with former Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Barak to discuss the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and the possibility of a two-state solution. Barak was part of the 2000 Camp David negotiations, and came closer than any other Israeli leader to securing peace, though ultimately failed. Barak’s belief is that current Israeli government–headed by his perennial rival Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu–makes the dream of a lasting peace even more distant.
“If your conclusion is that Israel is the only or the main responsible for the situation, you're wrong,” Barak tells Bremmer, “But if you mention as a matter of fact that this government doesn't want to see two-state solution, that's objectively accurate.”
Barak thinks Netanyahu’s policies have counterintuitively promoted the idea that Hamas in Gaza is an asset while the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank is a liability, not the other way around, all for political reasons. This dynamic has led to a “poison pill” against any political process, which is now even more difficult to achieve following the October 7th attacks and subsequent invasion.
Watch the episode: Is an Israel-Palestine two-state solution possible?
Catch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer every week at gzeromedia.com/gzeroworld or on US public television. Check local listings.
- Netanyahu: “Now is the time for war” ›
- Netanyahu’s failed Gaza strategy ›
- West Bank is heating up ›
- Ian Bremmer: Understanding the Israel-Hamas war ›
- Israel-Hamas war, 31 days in ›
- Why the Israel-Hamas war is so divisive - GZERO Media ›
- Yuval Noah Harari: Netanyahu's 'Deep State' fears enabled Oct 7 attack - GZERO Media ›
- Israel's global image wanes further after killing of aid workers - GZERO Media ›
- Why Israel's Netanyahu continues to antagonize Biden on Gaza - GZERO Media ›
- Israel-Hamas war: Netanyahu hostage to far-right coalition, says author Friedman - GZERO Media ›
- Author Thomas Friedman on how the Gaza war could end - GZERO Media ›
- What will Israel's invasion of Rafah look like? - GZERO Media ›
Podcast: The path to a two-state solution for Israel & Palestine: Former PM Ehud Barak's perspective
Listen: Is a two-state solution still possible for Israel and Palestine? Ehud Barak, former Prime Minister of Israel, joins Ian Bremmer of the GZERO World Podcast to discuss the ongoing war with Hamas, the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and whether the idea of a two-state solution with Palestine is still realistic. Barak participated in the 2000 Camp David summit with Yasser Arafat and has arguably come closer than any Israeli leader in modern to securing peace, though he ultimately failed.
Barak is critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies of tacitly viewing Hamas in Gaza as an asset and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank as a liability instead of the other way around. He also admits that they should have gotten more humanitarian aid into Gaza sooner but argues that the goal of destroying Hamas is critical for Israel’s future. Barak and Bremmer also discuss the 240 estimated hostages still being held captive, the recent strikes on hospitals in Gaza, and how Israel can move forward after the war to live in peace with its neighbors.
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- Podcast: Why Netanyahu critic Ehud Barak calls Israel's government "clearly illegitimate" ›
- Podcast: Iran's role in the Gaza war: is escalation inevitable? ›
- Podcast: What's the US role in the Israel-Hamas war? Views from Sen. Chris Murphy & Rep. Mike Waltz ›
- Podcast: The war between Israel and Hamas and its unfathomable human toll ›
- The Perils, Principles, and Polls of War ›
- Hamas attacks in Israel ignite war ›
- Ehud Barak interview: Israeli democracy on the chopping block ›
- Israel's government legal but not legitimate, says former PM Ehud Barak ›
- Why the world isn't fair: Yuval Noah Harari on AI, Ukraine, and Gaza - GZERO Media ›
Is an Israel-Palestine two-state solution possible?
Is a two-state solution still possible for Israel and Palestine? Ehud Barak weighs in.
On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer sits down with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to discuss the ongoing war with Hamas, the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and whether the idea of a two-state solution with Palestine is still realistic. Barak participated in the 2000 Camp David summit with Yasser Arafat and has arguably come closer than any Israeli leader in modern to securing peace, though he ultimately failed.
“I’ve never lost sight of the idea that the only viable, long-term solution for this conflict in the Middle East remains, unfortunately, the two-state solution,” Barak tells Bremmer.
Today, Barak is critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies of tacitly viewing Hamas in Gaza as an asset and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank as a liability, instead of the other way around. He also admits that they should have gotten more humanitarian aid into Gaza sooner, but argues that the goal of destroying Hamas is critical for Israel’s future. Ultimately, he says the 240 estimated hostages still being held captive should be prioritized above all else, and that failing rescue them would amount to “abandonment” by the Israeli government.
Watch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer every week online and on US public television. Check local listings.
- Hamas attacks in Israel ignite war ›
- Ian Bremmer: Understanding the Israel-Hamas war ›
- America's tightrope walk with the Israel-Hamas war ›
- Viewpoint: How Israel-Palestine conflict became a real “Holy War” ›
- Israel-Hamas War: The race to avert escalation in the Middle East ›
- Israel-Hamas war, 31 days in ›
- Why the Israel-Hamas war is so divisive - GZERO Media ›
Ian Explains: Why Israeli-Palestinian peace talks at Camp David came close but failed in 2020
The last best chance at peace between Israel and Palestine included bowling and baseball at a wooded retreat in rural Maryland.
Twenty-three years ago at Camp David, US President Bill Clinton welcomed Palestinian Liberation Organization chairman Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak for a two-week summit in a bucolic setting. The goal: find an enduring solution to the Israel-Palestine crisis.
But as Ian Bremmer explains, as the three leaders strolled together down a leafy Camp David road, they couldn’t have been further apart in their expectations for the summit. Ehud Barak, the young, leftist Israeli Prime Minister—fresh off a series of failed negotiations with Syria—had pushed hard for the summit, arguing that it was the “pressure cooker” that would require him and Arafat to make real progress on a two-state solution. His strategy was to either secure a deal or expose Arafat as an unreliable partner.
Meanwhile, Yasser Arafat was treading water of his own. Given his constituency’s mistrust of Israel and his resentment of Barak’s recent focus on Syria, Arafat was in no hurry to reach an agreement. He had warned Clinton ahead of the summit that his side was not ready to come to the table. Nor did he trust Barak to follow through on his promises.
This is the story of what happened at those talks and why the best chance in a generation for peace in the Middle East failed.
Watch the episode: Is an Israel-Palestine two-state solution possible?
Catch GZERO World with Ian Bremmer every week online and on US public television. Check local listings.
- Ian Bremmer: Understanding the Israel-Hamas war ›
- Ian Explains: How Israel & Iran went from friends to enemies ›
- Hamas: What is it? ›
- The Graphic Truth: Where do Palestinian refugees live? ›
- Viewpoint: How Israel-Palestine conflict became a real “Holy War” ›
- From tragedy to resilience: The story of Israel according to former PM Barak ›
- Ehud Barak interview: Israeli democracy on the chopping block ›
Ehud Barak interview: Israeli democracy on the chopping block
Israel's delicate balance between democracy and political power is under threat, as the government's proposed judiciary overhaul poses a significant risk to the checks and balances of its political system.
On GZERO World, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak warns that the judicial overhaul, backed by coalition members, would undermine the independence of the courts and leave the executive branch unchecked. Barak describes current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet as legal but "illegitimate," with a "black flag waving over it." It's no surprise, he says, that it has been sparking protests nationwide.
Note: This interview was first featured in the GZERO World episode "How Bibi could end Israel's democracy (or get ousted)," published on May 8, 2023.
As Israel marks Memorial Day and Independence Day back-to-back, Barak underscores the high cost the country has paid for its existence and its willingness to do so again. Meanwhile, Netanyahu faces a difficult choice between jeopardizing Israel's democracy, national identity, and economy by pushing forward with the judicial reform agenda, or risking losing the support of his far-right coalition.
- How Bibi could end Israel's democracy (or get ousted) ›
- Israel's judicial reform could destroy democracy from within, says former PM Ehud Barak ›
- Israel's government legal but not legitimate, says former PM Ehud Barak ›
- Podcast: Why Netanyahu critic Ehud Barak calls Israel's government "clearly illegitimate" ›
- Ian Explains: Why Israeli-Palestinian peace talks at Camp David came close but failed in 2020 - GZERO Media ›
- Podcast: The path to a two-state solution for Israel & Palestine: Former PM Ehud Barak's perspective - GZERO Media ›
From tragedy to resilience: The story of Israel according to former PM Barak
What does it truly mean to give the ultimate sacrifice? And how can we give meaning to those who have made it?
These were questions that former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak delved into in a recent interview with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.
Barak, who spent 36 years in uniform and lost many friends, shared two anecdotes to illustrate the magnitude of sacrifice for Israel. It is a country, he says, that has used its tragic past to build a resilient present.
Watch the episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer: How Bibi could end Israel's democracy (or get ousted)
Israel's government legal but not legitimate, says former PM Ehud Barak
Is Israel's democracy in danger? On GZERO World, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak sits down with Ian Bremmer to discuss what Barak thinks is the hidden agenda of the current government's judicial overhaul.
For Barak, the proposed reform process is really a power grab because it would undermine the very institutions that Israel stands for. He also accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using a "clever tactic" to hide his true motivations.
Despite being a legal government, Barak describes the ruling coalition as "illegitimate" — with a "black flag waving over it." And that, he adds, has big implications for the future of Israeli democracy.
Watch the episode of GZERO World with Ian Bremmer: How Bibi could end Israel's democracy (or get ousted)
- Netanyahu’s climbdown ›
- Why Netanyahu relented to protests in Israel, but France's Macron didn't ›
- Podcast: Why Netanyahu critic Ehud Barak calls Israel's government "clearly illegitimate" ›
- Ehud Barak interview: Israeli democracy on the chopping block - GZERO Media ›
- Podcast: The path to a two-state solution for Israel & Palestine: Former PM Ehud Barak's perspective - GZERO Media ›