As Israel experiences a downgrade in its credit rating, a similar fate has befallen its leader. Prime Minister Netanyahu, once considered a respected statesman on the international stage, has lost his rating. And similar to Moody’s forecast, the forecast is negative.
The first signs of his downgrade came before October 7. The legal reform surprised many leaders of the free world. They struggled to understand where he was heading. He began to get very cold shoulders, even from the White House. They expressed deep concern about his conflict of interest due to his trial and began to cast doubt on their shared values. “Can we continue to regard him as a partner on the path? Or has he lost his way and deviated from his course?” they asked themselves.
It didn’t help. Leaders of the free world are now looking on with amazement and deep disappointment. How is it possible that the depth of the crisis, the historic opportunity, and the international outreach have not caused Netanyahu to change course? How does he continue with hollow declarations about the “absolute victory,” without any readiness to reiterate his commitment to a two-state solution? How does he remain silent about the extreme statements of government ministers and their participation in conferences calling for settlement in Gaza and population transfer?
Like Moody’s, leaders of the free world are impressed by Israeli civil society and its democratic institutions. But in order to restore their trust in the state, in order to raise its rating a leader is needed who has vision, courage, diplomatic insight, integrity, and shared values; one they can see as a partner. A statesman is needed.