Zehut’s Moshe Feiglin accuses Netanyahu of surrendering sovereignty, claiming Israel’s U.S. dependence in Gaza and Lebanon is deliberate, not imposed.
Zehut Party Chairman Moshe Feiglin launched a searing critique Monday against Israel’s current leadership, arguing that the country’s deepening reliance on the United States during the Gaza and Lebanon conflicts is not the result of Washington’s pressure — but the outcome of a calculated policy by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
“That was the strategy from the beginning,” Feiglin told Arutz Sheva – Israel National News, charging that Jerusalem has “systematically surrendered its diplomatic and military sovereignty” to American oversight.
Feiglin cited the U.S.-led base in Kiryat Gat, established to monitor the Gaza ceasefire, as a potent symbol of what he called Israel’s transformation into a “semi-official client state.”
“President Trump wanted Israel to be the dominant power in the region,” Feiglin explained. “But we weren’t ready. People think Trump manipulated Netanyahu, but in fact, Netanyahu manipulated Trump. Trump—thinking as a businessman and power broker—sought partnership, not dominance. But Israel’s national consciousness collapsed. We lost our sense of mission.”
Feiglin went further, asserting that Israel’s refusal to reestablish Jewish sovereignty in Gaza and Gush Katif after the Hamas war created a vacuum that foreign powers rushed to fill. “When it became clear that someone had to take over Gaza, many protested,” he said. “But Netanyahu convinced us there was no alternative. Now Gaza is effectively under U.S. management, Hamas remains in power, and our sovereignty is compromised.”
Criticizing what he called Israel’s “leftist mindset dressed in right-wing rhetoric,” Feiglin dismissed the argument that American coordination enhances Israeli strength. “The Arabs aren’t leaving Gaza because Israel isn’t allowing them to,” he said, citing the Chief of Staff’s refusal to authorize a migration authority due to legal constraints imposed by the Military Advocate General.
“The Americans aren’t the problem,” Feiglin insisted. “The problem is us — our leadership, our complacency, and our unwillingness to reclaim sovereignty. Trump wanted us to be a regional power. We refused.”
Feiglin’s comments reflect a growing current on the Israeli right that sees U.S. military and diplomatic entanglement as a threat to Israel’s independence, particularly as Washington assumes a larger operational role in ceasefire enforcement. His warning echoes the ideological fault line dividing the nationalist camp — between those who seek full autonomy and those who view the U.S.-Israel alliance as a necessary pillar of security.
As Feiglin concluded sharply:
Zehut Party Chairman Moshe Feiglin launched a searing critique Monday against Israel’s current leadership, arguing that the country’s deepening reliance on the United States during the Gaza and Lebanon conflicts is not the result of Washington’s pressure — but the outcome of a calculated policy by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
“That was the strategy from the beginning,” Feiglin told Arutz Sheva – Israel National News, charging that Jerusalem has “systematically surrendered its diplomatic and military sovereignty” to American oversight.
Feiglin cited the U.S.-led base in Kiryat Gat, established to monitor the Gaza ceasefire, as a potent symbol of what he called Israel’s transformation into a “semi-official client state.”
“President Trump wanted Israel to be the dominant power in the region,” Feiglin explained. “But we weren’t ready. People think Trump manipulated Netanyahu, but in fact, Netanyahu manipulated Trump. Trump—thinking as a businessman and power broker—sought partnership, not dominance. But Israel’s national consciousness collapsed. We lost our sense of mission.”
Feiglin went further, asserting that Israel’s refusal to reestablish Jewish sovereignty in Gaza and Gush Katif after the Hamas war created a vacuum that foreign powers rushed to fill. “When it became clear that someone had to take over Gaza, many protested,” he said. “But Netanyahu convinced us there was no alternative. Now Gaza is effectively under U.S. management, Hamas remains in power, and our sovereignty is compromised.”
Criticizing what he called Israel’s “leftist mindset dressed in right-wing rhetoric,” Feiglin dismissed the argument that American coordination enhances Israeli strength. “The Arabs aren’t leaving Gaza because Israel isn’t allowing them to,” he said, citing the Chief of Staff’s refusal to authorize a migration authority due to legal constraints imposed by the Military Advocate General.
“The Americans aren’t the problem,” Feiglin insisted. “The problem is us — our leadership, our complacency, and our unwillingness to reclaim sovereignty. Trump wanted us to be a regional power. We refused.”
Feiglin’s comments reflect a growing current on the Israeli right that sees U.S. military and diplomatic entanglement as a threat to Israel’s independence, particularly as Washington assumes a larger operational role in ceasefire enforcement. His warning echoes the ideological fault line dividing the nationalist camp — between those who seek full autonomy and those who view the U.S.-Israel alliance as a necessary pillar of security.
As Feiglin concluded sharply:
“The issue lies not in Washington, but in Jerusalem. We’ve forgotten who we are — and until we remember, we’ll never truly be free.”
