Iran war: Ex-minister in Palma says US and Israel lost

In Palma, Mallorca, former Israeli foreign minister Shlomo Ben Ami delivers a blunt verdict on the Iran war: the United States and Israel won battles, but lost the war. Speaking at CaixaForum on Tuesday, 20 October, he argues that military strength alone no longer brings victory.

Why winning battles was not enough

Ben Ami says Iran has shown how a supposedly weaker country can hold its own in an asymmetric war — a conflict between opponents with very different military strength. The war has brought no stable new order, he argues. Iran has suffered badly but remains an important regional power.

He expects the divisions between Europe and the United States, along with friction between major powers, to persist. In his view, wars can begin with a clear aim and end in chaos their leaders did not intend.

Israel’s response to threats

Ben Ami also criticises Israel’s approach to threats, saying it reacts disproportionately because it treats each one as a matter of survival. He considers Hamas a threat, but not an existential one.

He points to the war in Gaza after the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023, which killed 1,200 people on the Israeli side. The Israeli offensive that followed has killed more than 70,000 people in the Gaza Strip. Ben Ami links Israel’s response to the continuing weight of the Holocaust in Israeli society.

Topics: Palma

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com