IT’S THE ECONOMY, HABIBI

Peloni:  Important insights were covered on this episode of Israel Update which was recorded prior to the Lebanon Ceasefire and the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz.  The conversation is nonetheless informative, but I would specifically highlight the interview with Zenib Riboua of the Hudson Institute (16min-32min) as she provides important relevance of the competing interests between the US and China in the Iran war.

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April 17, 2026 | 9 Comments »

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  1. Netanyahu Eisenkot academic degrees/job experience in economics

    Benjamin Netanyahu holds degrees in architecture and business management, and worked as an economic consultant, while Gadi Eisenkot holds degrees in history and political science with a career focused entirely on military service and public governance. Neither has a formal academic degree specifically in economics. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

    Benjamin Netanyahu
    * Academic Degrees: Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Architecture (1975) and a Master of Science (M.Sc.) from the MIT Sloan School of Management (1976), alongside political science studies at MIT and Harvard University. [1, 2]
    *
    * Economic/Business Experience: Worked as an economic consultant for the Boston Consulting Group in the U.S. and later served as Marketing Director for Rim Industries in Jerusalem (1980–1982). [1, 2]
    *

    Gadi Eisenkot
    * Academic Degrees: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in History from Tel Aviv University and a post-graduate degree in Political Science from the University of Haifa. [1]
    *
    * Economic/Business Experience: No professional background or job experience in economics; his career consists of over 40 years in the Israel Defense Forces (culminating as Chief of General Staff) followed by roles in the Israeli Knesset and war cabinet. [1, 2, 3

    trump economics degree
    Donald Trump earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in May 1968. [1, 2]

    My comment: I’m sure Trump and Eisenkot would have just so much to talk about when it comes to economics!

    1

    • what was netanyahu’s job in 2005

      +3 In 2005, Benjamin Netanyahu served as Israel’s Minister of Finance and later became the Chairman of the Likud Party.

      Government and Political Roles: Minister of Finance (2003–August 2005): Managed Israel’s national budget and economic policy under Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.Resignation (August 2005): Quit his cabinet post in protest of Prime Minister Sharon’s plan to pull Israeli settlers and troops out of the Gaza Strip.Likud Party Leader (December 2005): Won the leadership election to head the Likud party again after Sharon left Likud to form a new party.

      what was eisenkot’s job in 2005 +2 In 2005, Gadi Eisenkot served as the commander of the Judea and Samaria Division before being promoted in June of that year to head of the Israeli Operations Directorate (Operations Division).Military Roles in 2005Judea and Samaria Division Commander: Led military operations in the West Bank during the final phase of the Second Intifada.Head of the Operations Directorate: Promoted in June 2005 to oversee broader army operations and strategic planning for the Israel Defense Forces.

      did eisenkot play a role in the Gaza disengagement?

      +6 Gadi Eisenkot did not play a direct, prominent role as a primary decision-maker in the political execution of the 2005 Gaza disengagement. At the time of the withdrawal, his focus was on separate military duties, as he was serving in other high-ranking command positions within the Israel Defense Forces rather than leading the political or regional evacuation plans.Military and Political ContextCareer Focus: During the 2005 disengagement, Eisenkot was an active senior IDF general, later rising to become the Chief of the General Staff from 2015 to 2019, rather than a political architect of Ariel Sharon’s withdrawal cabinet.

      Later Stances: In his subsequent political career, Eisenkot has defended the legitimacy of the 2005 withdrawal, heavily criticizing efforts by right-wing politicians to repeal the Disengagement Law or rebuild settlements in the Gaza Strip.

      In Judea and Samaria:

      He has repeatedly labeled the actions of violent Jewish extremist militias in the area as “terrorism” and criminal acts that harm Israel’s global reputation and security operations.

        • Gadi Eisenkot does not support the death penalty for terrorists, having previously spoken out against such measures and criticized related legislation as populist.

            • eisenkot mowing the lawn doctrine conceptzia

              +6 The “mowing the lawn” strategy and the conceptzia represent a foundational mindset in Israel’s security establishment that focused on managing asymmetric conflicts rather than achieving total political resolutions.

              General Gadi Eisenkot operated within and shaped these military doctrines, which faced a massive collapse during the October 7, 2023, attacks.

              Mowing the Lawn (Kisuf Deshe)Definition: A military metaphor for periodic, short-term operations used to degrade the capabilities (such as rockets and tunnels) of non-state actors like Hamas or Hezbollah without seeking a permanent political settlement.Core Idea: Acknowledges that the adversary cannot be permanently eliminated or transformed through military means alone, so the state must repeatedly strike them to restore temporary deterrence and quiet.Application: Characterized operations in Gaza prior to 2023 (e.g., 2012’s Pillar of Defense and 2014’s Protective Edge) where the goal was risk reduction and containment rather than regime change.The ConceptziaDefinition: Meaning “the conception” or entrenched conventional wisdom, it describes the collective groupthink within Israeli military and intelligence leadership.The Core Failure: The belief that containment strategies like “mowing the lawn,” combined with technological barriers (like the smart fence around Gaza) and economic incentives, had successfully institutionalized Hamas as a deterred, rational actor.Shattering the Paradigm: The October 7 attacks exposed the conceptzia as a strategic delusion, proving that periodic degradation could not prevent an adversary from planning total escalation.Gadi Eisenkot’s RoleMilitary Legacy: As a former Chief of General Staff and head of the IDF Operations Directorate, Eisenkot helped refine doctrines focused on disproportionate force and deterrence, including the related Dahiya Doctrine from the 2006 Lebanon War (focused on massive infrastructural damage to deter enemies).Post-2023 Shift: After October 7, Eisenkot criticized political leadership for failing to pair military power with a coherent political endgame,

              signaling that the traditional “mow the lawn” framework was no longer viable for Israel’s long-term survival.

              My comment: Gee, ya think?

              • does eisenkot support regime change war in iran

                No, Gadi Eisenkot does not support a regime change war in Iran, explicitly calling the concept of using force to topple the Iranian government “an insane idea” and “detached from reality”.

                Views on Iran and Regime ChangeUnrealistic Goals: Eisenkot stated that anyone who believes the Iranian regime can be forced out by military action or small proxy forces does not understand the challenge, is unfamiliar with history, and is completely detached from reality.Defined Objectives: He has argued publicly that introducing “regime change” as an official military or strategic objective against Iran is a “serious mistake” and that nations should stick to goals that are actually achievable.Criticism of Covert Plans: He sharply criticized leaked reports of past covert operations aiming to forcefully instate alternative leadership in Iran, maintaining that military strategies must be grounded in pragmatic limits rather than grandiose fantasies.