PUTRAJAYA: World-renowned economist Prof Jeffrey Sachs has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of misleading his people with religious rhetoric, describing him as “delusional” and “narcissistic” while warning that his actions could trigger a global economic crisis.
Responding to Netanyahu’s remarks about Israel reaching the “return of the Messiah”, Sachs said the use of apocalyptic religious language by political leaders was irresponsible and harmful.
“These politicians are absolutely irresponsible. They’re playing with their publics and their constituencies.
“They are misusing the Jewish Torah, misusing the Christian Bible and misquoting scripture. They are creating havoc,” he told reporters when met after the forum ‘Strategies for Malaysia and Asean in an Era of Global Instability.’
The forum, which featured Sach as the panellist, was moderated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Sachs, who is also president of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), was sharply critical of Netanyahu, accusing him of promoting violence and war across the Middle East in pursuit of Israel’s political objectives.
“There’s nothing about Netanyahu that has an ounce of responsibility or decency.
“He is a man of extraordinary violence and has been the author of innumerable wars in the Middle East, even before this war,” he said.
According to Sachs, the Israeli leader had long supported conflict in the region to advance what he described as Israel’s “narrow goal and illegal occupation of Palestine”.
“So whatever he says, he doesn’t believe in any of that. He’s a cynic.
“In my view, he is delusional, he’s a narcissist, and he’s violent,” Sachs said, adding that Netanyahu had created “enough trouble in this world” and should step down.
He also warned that the ongoing conflict could have serious global consequences.
“What Israel has done this time is going to provoke a worldwide economic crisis. Worldwide,” he said.
Sachs also addressed criticism that the United Nations had failed to stop the war, saying the conflict would likely end only when major global powers openly condemned the actions of Israel and the United States.
“I think the war is going to stop when the important nations of the world get together and speak clearly and say what Israel and the United States are doing is blatantly illegal and risking the entire world,” he said.
He argued that many countries had remained silent due to their political or military ties with Washington.
“Countries aligned with the United States are afraid to tell the truth. Countries that host US military bases, like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain or the Emirates, are suffering from this but are afraid to speak,” he said.
Sachs also criticised US President Donald Trump, saying both Trump and Netanyahu were acting under “delusions” while the rest of the world remained largely silent.
However, he singled out Malaysia’s leadership for taking a different stance.
“Your Prime Minister is a wonderful and remarkable exception. He speaks clearly, truthfully, morally and practically - completely correct,” Sachs said.
He added that stronger collective action by regional and global blocs could pressure Washington and Tel Aviv to end the conflict.
“What’s important is for countries to get together. Asean leaders should say this hurts us, this hurts the world, and it needs to stop,” he said.
Sachs said collective voices from regional alliances such as Asean or major global blocs like BRICS, which represent a large share of the world’s population, could exert significant pressure.
“If they speak together, representing hundreds of millions of people, it becomes very powerful.
“Each leader may be afraid to speak alone, but if they speak together, all the United States can do is listen,” he said.
