Edward N. Luttwak argues in Tablet magazine that this is what carried Winston Churchill through Britain’s darkest hours in World War II, and it's what carried Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu through Israel’s latest and most existential war.

As Luttwak explains, just as Churchill persisted without a clear path to victory, Netanyahu endured a storm of internal and external pressures with sheer determination. From the outbreak of Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack, Netanyahu faced a White House deeply hostile to him. Unlike Churchill, who contended with a reluctant Congress and a sympathetic president, Netanyahu found support on Capitol Hill but an openly antagonistic Biden administration—populated by Obama-era figures like Samantha Power and Robert Malley, long known for their anti-Israel leanings.

Luttwak notes that these officials weren’t simply passive observers. They sought to undermine Netanyahu directly, encouraging protests and empowering domestic opposition. The CIA’s historic coldness toward Israel, well-documented in declassified files, didn’t help either. Only parts of the Pentagon remained friendly.

Despite all this, Netanyahu refused to yield to calls for a premature cease-fire—from the Biden administration, European governments, and even respected former IDF generals like Yair Golan and Israel Ziv. Many of these figures offered no viable plan to deal with Hezbollah in the north or recover Israeli hostages. Their demand for a cease-fire would have allowed Hamas to regroup and Hezbollah to unleash its massive arsenal on northern Israel.

Throughout, Luttwak reminds us, Netanyahu maintained his strategic focus. Under relentless U.S. pressure, including Biden’s infamous “Bibi, what the f***?” after Israel eliminated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in September 2024, Netanyahu held firm.

That strike proved decisive. Israel’s intelligence and military dismantled Hezbollah through a chain reaction of targeted strikes, paralyzing the terror army. With Hezbollah shattered, Syria’s Assad regime—long propped up by Iran and Hezbollah—collapsed. And with the IDF controlling Gaza’s southern border, Iran could no longer rearm its proxies.

As Luttwak emphasizes, none of this would have happened without Netanyahu’s resolve. The Prime Minister stood alone against an antagonistic U.S. administration, noisy opposition at home, and a global chorus demanding surrender disguised as cease-fire.

Israel’s technological superiority and military courage were vital. But, as Luttwak insists, tenacity was the keystone. Netanyahu’s unyielding will enabled Israel’s most consequential geopolitical victory in generations.

Yet the challenge isn’t over. With Iran now nearing nuclear capability, Netanyahu faces his greatest test. Israel may soon need to strike Iran’s nuclear infrastructure with surgical precision. Without American heavy bombers, the margin for error is razor-thin. And so, as Churchill once said—and as Luttwak concludes—Netanyahu has no option but to keep buggering on.