PM Netanyahu must resign if he reaffirms his “doormat” status by withdrawing from Lebanon

PM Netanyahu must resign if he reaffirms his “doormat” status by withdrawing from Lebanon
Dr. Aaron Lerner 23 January 2025

We face many critical issues for our future, and if President Trump thinks that our leader is a “doormat,” we are doomed.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a one-time opportunity to change his “doormat” status in President Trump’s eyes.
We all understand that we must keep IDF forces in Lebanon. This is not a political issue in Israel at all.

According to media reports, instead of informing the Trump administration that we are staying in Lebanon, we asked for permission from the Trump administration to remain there, and they objected. It was a mistake to ask for permission instead of declaring our intent, but that is behind us now.

When we caved into Trump’s envoy and accepted the terms of the agreement with Hamas, Trump labeled Netanyahu as a “doormat.”

It is critical to change the designation of “doormat” for our prime minister by Mr. Trump, because a country whose leader is considered a “doormat” will not win Trump’s support on Gaza, Iran, or any other critical issue.

Therefore, with great regret, if we withdraw from Lebanon in the coming days, for the sake of us all, Netanyahu must resign in a process that immediately installs a replacement who will act decisively (e.g., annexation?) to signal to Trump that he is not a “doormat.”

To be clear: I am not looking for an excuse to remove Netanyahu. With all my heart, I want him to do the right thing, so he can continue to lead.

But if Mr. Netanyahu has resigned himself to being President Trump’s “doormat,” he must resign.