Benjamin Netayahu - Supervillain of the 21st Century

Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership in 2025 has spiraled into a global
crisis, fueled by a historical reliance on violence, strategic missteps,
and a desperate bid to maintain power. This essay examines the
trajectory of his actions—from Israel’s violent origins to the anomalies
of the October 7, 2023, attack, his eroding support, and his reckless
escalation in Gaza, paired with veiled nuclear threats. Netanyahu’s
maneuvers, shaped by his and Donald Trump’s personalities, risk
catastrophic conflict, demanding urgent international attention.

Historical Foundations: The Nakba and Zionist Violence

The establishment of Israel in 1948, marked by the Nakba—the forced
displacement of 750,000 Palestinians—was a product of calculated
violence by Zionist paramilitary groups like Irgun and Lehi. These
organizations targeted the British Mandate, which governed Palestine
from 1922 under a League of Nations framework to balance Jewish
immigration with Palestinian rights. By the early 1920s, Palestine’s
population was roughly 90% Arab (Muslim and Christian) and 10% Jewish,
but Jewish immigration surged from 60,000 in 1917 to 600,000 by 1947,
driven by the 1917 Balfour Declaration’s promise of a Jewish national
home. This influx, coupled with land purchases, heightened Arab fears of
displacement, creating irreconcilable tensions.

Irgun and Lehi, led by figures like Menachem Begin, resorted to
terrorism to end British rule. In 1946, Irgun bombed the King David
Hotel in Jerusalem, a British administrative hub, killing 91 people,
including 41 Arabs, 28 British, and 17 Jews. In 1948, the groups
massacred over 100 Palestinian villagers, including women and children,
at Deir Yassin, triggering массовый flight and intensifying the refugee
crisis. They also assassinated UN mediator Folke Bernadotte in 1948 for
proposing a partition plan that reduced Jewish territory. These acts
pressured Britain to abandon the Mandate in 1947 and compelled the UN to
recognize Israel in 1949, despite Israel’s failure to comply with
partition plans, refugee return rights, and other UN conditions.
This precedent of using violence to achieve political goals reverberates
in Israel’s current policies under Netanyahu, who continues to
prioritize state dominance over international norms and humanitarian
obligations.

The October 7 Attack: Anomalies and Strategic Failures

The October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, which killed 1,200 Israelis and took
251 hostages, exposed significant vulnerabilities and raised questions
about Israel’s preparedness. The Nova music festival, originally
scheduled near Ashkelon, was relocated just days before to a site mere
kilometers from Gaza’s border, a high-risk area given ongoing tensions.
On the day of the attack, military protection was unusually sparse, with
only a small police presence despite the proximity to a volatile border.
When Hamas breached the barrier, the Israeli military’s response was
delayed, taking hours to mobilize forces from nearby bases, allowing the
attackers to rampage through communities and the festival, killing
hundreds.

Compounding the tragedy, evidence suggests Israel employed the Hannibal
Directive—a controversial protocol to prevent captures even at the cost
of civilian lives. Survivor accounts and a 2024 UN investigation
revealed that Israeli forces, including tank and helicopter units, fired
on their own citizens to thwart Hamas abductions, killing an unknown
number of festival attendees. These anomalies—the festival’s relocation,
lack of security, delayed response, and use of the Hannibal
Directive—suggest either gross negligence or a deliberate setup to
justify a severe retaliation. At the time, Netanyahu faced intense
domestic unrest over his judicial reforms, which critics argued
undermined democracy to shield him from corruption charges. The attack
provided a rallying point, shifting focus to national security and
bolstering his political standing, though at a devastating human cost.

Netanyahu’s Crumbling Support and Trump’s Humiliation

By May 2025, Netanyahu’s grip on power is faltering. Domestically, his
coalition with far-right figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel
Smotrich has alienated moderates, fueling protests over his judicial
reforms and corruption trials. These trials, ongoing since 2019, charge
him with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, carrying the potential for
up to seven years in prison. A guilty verdict could also expose him to
prosecution under Israel’s 1950 Genocide Law, which prescribes a death
penalty for genocide, though modern Israeli courts favor life
imprisonment. Internationally, the ICC issued arrest warrants in 2024
for war crimes in Gaza, and South Africa’s genocide case at the ICJ has
further isolated Israel. Public opinion in the U.S., Israel’s key ally,
has shifted, with polls showing growing disapproval of Israel’s military
actions, particularly the blockade and bombing campaigns that have
killed tens of thousands since 2023.

Netanyahu’s health, strained by age—he is 75—and the stress of
leadership, adds to his vulnerability. On May 12, 2025, Donald Trump
dealt a significant blow by negotiating directly with Hamas to secure
the release of Edan Alexander, the last known living American hostage in
Gaza, bypassing Netanyahu entirely.
Facilitated by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and mediated by Qatar and Egypt,
the deal humiliated Netanyahu, whose office claimed credit but was
clearly sidelined. This move signaled U.S. frustration with Netanyahu’s
refusal to accept a ceasefire, with reports indicating Trump threatened
to cut military aid—a critical lifeline for Israel. In response,
Netanyahu escalated his assault on Gaza, a tantrum reflecting his
desperation to reassert control and avoid the legal and political
consequences of losing power.

Gaza Escalation and the Samson Option: A Dangerous Gamble

Netanyahu’s intensified assault on Gaza, described by locals as a
twentyfold increase in bombing intensity, targets displaced people’s
tents, hospitals, and schools, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis. A
71-day blockade as of May 16, 2025, has cut off all aid, causing famine
among Gaza’s 2 million residents and killing thousands since the
offensive resumed in March. This escalation appears designed to deplete
Israel’s U.S.-supplied stockpiles, a strategic move to pressure the U.S.
into maintaining support despite Trump’s threats to withdraw aid. The
rapid depletion of munitions—precision-guided missiles, artillery
shells, and other ordnance—leaves Israel vulnerable, especially as its
actions have provoked regional adversaries. Iran, Hezbollah, and the
Houthis have retaliated, with Houthi missile strikes near Israel’s main
airport and Iran likely seeking revenge for the 2024 assassination of a
Revolutionary Guard commander.

Netanyahu avoids directly threatening the Samson Option—Israel’s nuclear
last resort, involving its estimated 80-400 warheads—but likely hints at
it in backroom talks with diplomats. This aligns with his history of
strategic ambiguity, such as his 2012 UN speech setting a red line on
Iran’s nuclear program. By suggesting to U.S. officials like Marco Rubio
that a vulnerable Israel might resort to “unthinkable measures,”
Netanyahu aims to secure continued backing, warning that a cutoff of
U.S. aid could lead to nuclear escalation. This dual strategy—emptying
stockpiles while hinting at the Samson Option—either forces the U.S. to
maintain support despite shifting public opinion or sets the stage for a
catastrophic response if regional threats escalate, risking a
multi-front war with global implications.

The Personalities Driving the Crisis: Netanyahu and Trump

Netanyahu’s actions reflect a leader defined by brinkmanship and
survival. His history—defying allies, escalating conflicts like the 2024
strikes on Iran, and rejecting ceasefire proposals despite global
condemnation—shows a willingness to prioritize personal and political
survival over ethics. His legal troubles, health concerns, and eroding
support amplify this desperation, making him a dangerous actor willing
to risk global stability to avoid jail. Trump’s personality, impulsive
and transactional, fuels the volatility. Initially supportive, lifting
arms restrictions in January 2025, Trump shifted to frustration by May,
evident in the Alexander deal and his focus on Saudi normalization.
Sensitive to U.S. public opinion, which increasingly opposes Israel’s
actions, Trump might follow through on cutting aid, especially if he
perceives Netanyahu’s defiance as a personal slight. This
interplay—Netanyahu’s calculated escalation and Trump’s unpredictable
reactions—creates a powder keg where missteps could ignite a broader
conflict, potentially involving nuclear escalation if Israel faces an
existential threat.

A Global Threat Demanding Urgent Action

Netanyahu’s trajectory—from the violent origins of Israel to the
anomalies of October 7, his crumbling support, and his reckless
escalation in Gaza—marks him as perhaps the most dangerous supervillain
the world has ever faced. His hints at the Samson Option and depletion
of Israel’s stockpiles risk a catastrophic conflict, driven by a
desperate bid to evade accountability. International leaders must
urgently consult their intelligence offices and prepare contingency
plans to address this escalating threat before it engulfs the world in
chaos.