Gonen Ben Isaac, a former Israeli internal intelligence agent who has become a major opponent of Benjamin Netanyahu's government, stated that the Israeli Prime Minister is "destroying" his country. The 53-year-old Ben Isaac remarked in an interview with AFP at his home in Modiin, central Israel, "Netanyahu truly represents the greatest danger to Israel."
He added, "Believe me, I have arrested some of the biggest terrorists during the Second Intifada. I know what a terrorist looks like," expressing his belief that "Netanyahu is leading Israel to destruction."
In the past, Ben Isaac worked alongside Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of Hamas leader Sheikh Hassan Yousef, who turned into an informant for Israel's internal security service (Shin Bet), to prevent attacks in the occupied West Bank. He also participated in the arrest of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, who has been sentenced to four life terms for orchestrating a series of operations against Israel during the Second Intifada.
Currently, Gonen Ben Isaac is part of the "Crime Minister" protest movement against Netanyahu’s policies. The delay in the delivery of U.S. weapons to its ally Israel has reinforced Ben Isaac's belief that Netanyahu should leave power. He remarked, "U.S. President Joe Biden is Israel's biggest supporter, and Netanyahu spat in his face," adding, "He is destroying very important relations with the United States."
For months, Israelis have protested Netanyahu's handling of the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, with dozens gathering regularly to call for early elections and the return of hostages held by Hamas. Ben Isaac, who joined Israeli internal security in the 1990s following the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, has become a prominent figure in the anti-Netanyahu demonstrations.
### "Hamas is Smarter"
The former Shin Bet agent believes that Israeli intelligence underestimated Hamas, asserting that a double agent could have revealed the plan for the October 7 attack to prevent it. He stated, "We needed an informant to contact us in the old way and say that something is not right. It seems we did not have that person." He added, "We thought our enemy was stupid. But ultimately, Hamas was smarter."
He believes it is time to "change the equation" in Gaza by ending the war and then rallying international support for the Palestinian National Authority, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, to take over the administration of Gaza. The activist accused the Israeli Prime Minister of wanting to remain in power at any cost, claiming that he thinks only of himself, his criminal issues, and how to maintain his political survival in Israel.
Ben Isaac criticized Netanyahu for allowing National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to use the police as his "private militia" to disrupt weekly anti-government protests in Tel Aviv. He asserted that he stood personally in front of water cannons to protect the demonstrators from police violence, which led to his conviction, although the sentence was overturned in March.
He continued, "Today Israel is crumbling from within. He (Netanyahu) is destroying everything." He added, "The more Netanyahu yields to the far-right nationalist allies, the weaker Israel's security becomes. Everything is now explosive. I say to Netanyahu, resign, and that would be the greatest support you can provide to the people of Israel."
