By Romana Rubeo 
In the latest episode of FloodGate, Professor Sami Al-Arian analyzes Israel’s military failures, the resilience of Palestinian resistance, and the erosion of Zionism’s future.
In a compelling episode of the FloodGate podcast on Wednesday, March 5, Dr. Ramzy Baroud—Palestinian intellectual, journalist, and editor of The Palestine Chronicle—features Professor Sami Al-Arian, a prominent Palestinian scholar, human rights activist, and director of the Center for Islam and Global Affairs at Istanbul Zaim University.
The conversation delves into the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, the geopolitical dynamics of the conflict, and the role of key players like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump.
Professor Al-Arian provides a critical analysis of Israel’s military failures, the resilience of Palestinian resistance, and the broader implications for the future of Zionism and Palestine.
The discussion also explores the ceasefire negotiations, the erosion of Israeli military doctrines, and the enduring struggle for Palestinian rights under international law.
1. Trump’s Push for Ceasefire
Netanyahu and his government were unwilling to stop the war, aiming to achieve their political and military objectives in Gaza, according to Professor Al-Arian.
“Netanyahu and his fascist government did not want to stop this war. All along, they had this agreement in hand since at least last May, but they had always rejected it,” he said.
However, Trump, seeking to avoid inheriting the conflict, pressured Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire, marking a significant shift in the dynamics of the war.
“The new factor this time around was Trump. Trump, after he was elected, did not want to inherit this war… he was telling Netanyahu, ‘Finish the job.’”
“Trump basically ordered Netanyahu to stop this war and embrace some sort of agreement… this agreement was available during Biden’s time, but Netanyahu reneged on it,” Al-Arian explained.
This, however, does not imply that Trump cares about the Palestinian people. To the contrary, according to Al-Arian, the U.S. president “gave (Netanyahu) this new doctrine that now you have a free hand to ethnically cleanse the Palestinians of Gaza.”
2. Israeli Objectives and Failures
According to Al-Arian, despite prolonged military efforts, Israel has failed to achieve its stated goals in Gaza, including defeating Hamas, freeing captives through force, and dislodging Hamas from power.
The only successes have come through negotiations, not military action.
“After 15 months of continuous war, all the objectives of the Israelis—to defeat, eradicate, eliminate, crush Hamas—they were not able to do that,” he said, adding:
“Israel’s three declared objectives—defeating Hamas, dislodging it from Gaza, and freeing hostages through military means—were all failures.”
“Despite 470 days of continuous genocide, war, and destruction, Israel could not achieve its goals,” Al-Arian concluded.
3. The US Greenlight
Netanyahu is currently trying to prolong the first stage to recover more Israeli captives without committing to further negotiations or a permanent end to the war.
According to Al-Arian, “Netanyahu wanted to get as many hostages back as possible… but he needed the green light from the Americans, which Trump did not give.”
“The resistance has insisted on five conditions: withdrawal of Israeli forces, permanent end to the aggression, resumption of aid, reconstruction of Gaza, and a fair prisoner exchange.”
Al-Arian thinks that “Netanyahu was trying to convince Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, to accept his interpretation that he could ‘finish the job’ without committing to a full ceasefire.”
4. Resistance and International Law
Al-Arian reiterates that the Palestinian resistance is exercising its right to armed struggle under international law.
“The right to armed struggle, the right to military resistance, is enshrined and protected by international law,” he said.
The resistance’s strategic planning and execution on October 7 are, in his view, significant blows to Israeli military doctrines.
“What happened on October 7th was a complete surprise to (Israel)… they did not think the resistance was able to do what it did,” Al-Arian added.
“The resistance’s meticulous planning and execution on October 7th undermined Israel’s military doctrines and strategic deterrence.”
5. Palestine as a Central Issue
Professor Al-Arian explained how the ongoing war has disrupted regional geopolitical plans, particularly the normalization deals between Israel and Arab states like Saudi Arabia.
The Palestinian issue demonstrated that it remains central and cannot be bypassed in any regional order.
“October 7th destroyed the illusion that you can bypass the Palestinian issue… the Palestinians cannot be overlooked,” he said.
“The reordering of the geopolitical order in the region, with Israel at the helm, was frozen if not dead after October 7th.”
“Netanyahu stood before the United Nations with a map showing no Palestine… he boasted about Israel controlling the region, but October 7th shattered that vision,” Al-Arian added.
“The normalization deals between Israel and Arab states, particularly Saudi Arabia, were put on hold after October 7th.”
6. Israeli Military Doctrine Erosion
Even more important, in the eyes of Al-Arian, is the ability of the Palestinian resistance to undermine key Israeli military doctrines, including preemptive strikes, early warning systems, effective deterrence, strong defense, quick resolution, and escalation dominance.
“For the first time, the resistance launched a preemptive strike on Israel’s own land, military bases, and settlements,” Al-Arian said, explaining that the Israelis “were taken by surprise.”
“Despite all the escalation—bombings, assassinations, and massacres—the resistance did not surrender,” he also stated.
“Israel’s doctrine of quick resolution failed… 470 days of war, and they could not defeat a non-state actor like Hamas.”
Despite the killing of resistance leaders, Israel could not restore its deterrence.
Israeli Army Admits ‘Complete Failure’ on Oct 7, Netanyahu Rejects Accountability
7. Future of Zionism and Palestine
According to Al-Arian, the Zionist project is untenable in the long term due to demographic challenges, internal contradictions within Israeli society, and the persistent resistance of the Palestinian people.
In his view, the possibility of a one-state solution with equal rights for all is a potential future outcome.
“Zionism is a settler-colonial, racist, supremacist movement… it has failed to establish a Jewish majority in the land,” Al-Arian explained, adding that “after almost a century of Zionism, there are 7.1 million Jews and 7.2 million Palestinians between the river and the sea.”
“The only options for Israel are apartheid or ethnic cleansing… both are unsustainable in the modern world.”
Moreover, “as long as the Palestinians resist, and as long as free people around the world support them, the Zionist experiment in Palestine will crumble.”
“Israel’s dream of expelling Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank has failed… the Palestinians are not willing to leave.”
The demographic reality on the ground, with Palestinians outnumbering Jews in historic Palestine, “makes Zionism’s goals impossible to achieve.”
(The Palestine Chronicle)
– Romana Rubeo is an Italian writer and the managing editor of The Palestine Chronicle. Her articles appeared in many online newspapers and academic journals. She holds a Master’s Degree in Foreign Languages and Literature and specializes in audio-visual and journalism translation.
