In a broad and wide-ranging interview to explain how the West views the continuing Israel-Hamas war, now in its seventh week, a former long-serving editor of the Financial Times has said Israel “hasn’t come anywhere near its goal of eradicating Hamas”. Lionel Barber was replying to a specific question about what he believes Israel has achieved during the 40+ days of the war.
In a 30-minute interview with Karan Thapar for The Wire, Barber said Israel’s campaign against Hamas has “polarised the world” adding it has done “a lot of damage” to Israel’s international image, particularly among the younger population of the West.
In the interview, Barber says he believes Israel will continue with its campaign against Hamas for, at least, a couple of more weeks because, as he put it, “the Israeli military hasn’t achieved its goal of eradicating Hamas”.
Asked what he thinks will be history’s verdict on Benjamin Netanyahu’s prime ministership, Barber began by saying “it might have been quite generous” but, like many others, Netanyahu has stayed on for too long. Now, Barber added, he will be blamed for “the political, the intelligence and the military failure” of October 7.
Barber explains how the Western perspective on the Israel-Hamas war differs from the one Indians are more familiar with.
