Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Faces Escalating Criticism
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a wave of escalating criticisms within Israel, coinciding with a poll that shows a decline in his popularity and a preference for his replacement as prime minister.
The American newspaper “New York Times” quoted Israeli Security Cabinet member Gadi Eisenkot as saying that the behavior of Netanyahu’s government before and after the operation dubbed “Flood of the Al-Aqsa” was “a very big failure.” Eisenkot confirmed that Israel has to ask itself how it will continue with “a leadership that has completely failed.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli newspaper “Haaretz” reported a source from the security cabinet’s inner circle criticizing Netanyahu’s stalling tactics to buy time and avoid responsibility. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid believes that Netanyahu “cares not for Israel but for his political interests and must be replaced quickly.”
Ehud Barak, a former Israeli Prime Minister, on the necessity of new leadership in Israel and organizing early elections before it’s too late.
Decline in Popular Support
The anger towards Netanyahu isn’t limited to military leaders and opposition figures. A recent opinion poll showed that only 31% of Israelis believe Netanyahu is the most suitable for the position of Prime Minister, according to a survey published by the Israeli newspaper “Maariv” on Friday.
The poll indicated that 50% perceived Defense Minister Benny Gantz as the fitter candidate for the position, and revealed that if elections were held today, Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party would lose half of its seats in the Knesset, while the National Unity Party, led by Gantz, would triple its seats.
The Likud party currently holds 39 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, while the National Unity Party has just 12 seats.
“Maariv” stated that if elections were held today, “the parties opposing Netanyahu’s leadership of the government would gain 71 seats, while those supporting him would receive 44 seats.”
In addition to Likud, the pro-Netanyahu bloc includes parties like “Shas,” “United Torah Judaism,” “Jewish Power,” and “Religious Zionism.” The opposition bloc consists of “National Unity,” “Yesh Atid,” “Israel Beiteinu,” “Meretz,” and “United Arab List.”
Disputes among Ministers
Disagreements within the Israeli government are growing between the ministers who support Netanyahu’s policies regarding the war path in Gaza, and others who are trying to pressure for a deal to guarantee the return of those held by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday evening, Israeli Channel 13 revealed that unnamed Israeli ministers had drafted the broad outlines of a proposal that could eventually lead to a deal for the release of the detainees. However, Netanyahu hardened his stance and rejected this move due to Hamas’s conditions for stopping the war.
The Israeli Labor Party, on Wednesday evening, announced that it would present a proposal to the Knesset to withdraw confidence from Netanyahu’s government for its failure to recover the detainees in Gaza.
Netanyahu, in a press conference on Thursday in Tel Aviv, dismissed calls for early elections, noting that the next elections are scheduled for 2026.
Israel claims that Hamas holds about 136 Israelis in Gaza since October 7, while Hamas demands a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails in exchange for the release of the Israeli detainees.
