Israel's regional strategy has collapsed, Barghouti tells Middle East Eye

The Collapse of Israel's Regional Strategy

Barghouti describes two core objectives that guided Israeli policy under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The first involved extending control across the region through military superiority. The second sought to secure formal ties with Arab governments while sidelining Palestinian rights. Both aims have faltered, he argues, as the recent confrontation with Iran demonstrated limits to Israeli power projection.

Arab states that once considered closer security cooperation with Israel now confront the reality that such alignment carries direct risks. Barghouti notes that reliance on Israeli assurances has proven costly rather than protective. This shift leaves Israel more isolated at a time when its leadership had expected expanded influence.

Conditions in Gaza and the West Bank

The interview details the scale of destruction in Gaza alongside the incremental restrictions tightening across the West Bank. Barghouti, who co-founded the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, emphasizes that civilian infrastructure has faced sustained targeting, producing widespread shortages of medical supplies and basic services. Figures on casualties and displacement remain high, with recovery efforts hampered by ongoing blockades.

In the West Bank, movement between towns and villages has grown more difficult through checkpoints and permit systems. Barghouti connects these measures to a pattern of land appropriation and settlement expansion that predates the current escalation. Daily life for residents involves repeated disruptions to work, education, and healthcare access.

Changes Within Israeli Society

Barghouti characterizes recent political developments inside Israel as a move toward authoritarian structures. He points to legislation and public discourse that marginalize dissent and consolidate power around security institutions. This internal shift, he maintains, reinforces policies that treat Palestinian presence as a problem to be managed rather than a population with rights.

The interview rejects any suggestion that both sides bear equivalent responsibility. Barghouti insists the asymmetry of power determines the nature of the conflict, with one side controlling borders, resources, and military capacity while the other lives under occupation or blockade.

Oslo Accords and the 2005 Gaza Disengagement

Barghouti revisits the 1993 Oslo framework and Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza settlements. He describes both as mechanisms that preserved Israeli control while creating the appearance of concessions. Oslo established limited Palestinian Authority structures without addressing core issues of sovereignty, borders, or refugee rights, he states.

The Gaza disengagement removed settlers but maintained external control over airspace, territorial waters, and most crossings. Barghouti argues these steps allowed Israel to claim progress toward peace while fragmenting Palestinian territory and weakening unified political representation. The results, in his view, entrenched division rather than opening paths to self-determination.

Regional Confrontation and Its Outcomes

The discussion turns to Israel's direct exchanges with Iran. Barghouti observes that Iranian capabilities remained intact after the latest round of strikes, undermining claims of decisive victory. He links this outcome to broader Arab reassessment of security partnerships with Israel, noting that governments previously open to normalization now weigh the costs more carefully.

These developments, according to Barghouti, signal the end of Israel's expectation that military reach could secure lasting regional dominance. Instead, the conflict has highlighted vulnerabilities and prompted neighboring states to reconsider their alignments.

Palestinian Medical Efforts and Community Resilience

Barghouti shares accounts from the Palestinian Medical Relief Society during the early weeks of intensified fighting in Gaza. Approximately 90 midwives continued operations despite damaged facilities and supply shortages. Clinics destroyed by strikes were reconstructed in new locations under continued threat, allowing basic services to resume.

These efforts reflect a wider pattern of adaptation. Health workers have prioritized continuity of care for pregnant women, children, and the injured while documenting the effects of restricted access to medicines and electricity. Barghouti presents such work as evidence of organized civilian response rather than passive endurance.

Palestine as a Global Standard

The interview positions the Palestinian situation as a test for international commitments to human rights and international law. Barghouti argues that consistent application of these standards requires addressing occupation, blockade, and settlement policies without selective exemptions. Failure to do so, he warns, weakens the credibility of global institutions.

Despite prolonged hardship, Barghouti expresses continued determination among Palestinians to maintain presence on the land and pursue political organization. He frames this stance as rooted in lived experience rather than abstract optimism, pointing to ongoing community initiatives that sustain social structures under pressure.

Barghouti's analysis suggests that recent events have narrowed Israel's options for regional integration while exposing the limits of military solutions. The interview closes on the note that Palestinian political agency, though constrained, continues to shape the terms of any future arrangement.