Tommy Patrio Sorongan, CNBC Indonesia
Monday, 11/20/2023 10:25 WIB
Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a meeting with US President Joe Biden (not pictured), as Biden visits Israel amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 18, 2023. (REUTERS/EVELYN HOCKSTEIN )
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Israel’s attacks on the Palestinian Gaza region continue. Tel Aviv continues to direct its ground artillery into Gaza to attack the Hamas militia.
Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu himself promised that the attack on Gaza would also be carried out to free the citizens who were kidnapped and held hostage. However, several reports said a number of hostages were killed by Israel’s own artillery attacks, sparking anger among the victims’ families.
A November 14 poll showed Netanyahu’s popularity among Israeli Jews at around 4% and both his opponents and traditional allies are calling for him to step down once the current war ends.
“He is extremely vulnerable, more so than he has ever been in his political career considering that he presided over the largest intelligence security failure in Israel’s history,” Khaled Elgindy, an expert on Palestinian-Israeli Affairs at the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC, told Al JazeeraSunday (19/11/2023).
On Friday, Israel discovered the bodies of at least two captives. Four captives have been freed through mediation efforts led by Qatar and other countries.
However, Netanyahu has so far rejected a larger deal on a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of more prisoners. He said his party would only consider stopping attacks on Gaza when all the hostages were freed.
Internal Party Unrest
Netanyahu also faced resistance from within his party, Likud. Frustration with Netanyahu has escalated to the point that some people have even left the right-wing party.
Tamir Idan, Chairman of the Sdot Negev Regional Council, tore up his Likud membership card on live television. He said he was frustrated with the lack of support from Netanyahu’s government.
“(National Security Minister Itamar) Ben-Gvir will not answer us. (Finance Minister Bezalel) Smotrich sent his assistant,” Idan told Times of Israel. “Others are not coming at all. This government is not working.”
In the media, Israel Hayom, a right-wing newspaper that often supports Netanyahu, called on him to take responsibility and accept that responsibility lies with him.
Still, the unifying factor of Netanyahu’s government is still emerging. Some parties to this day continue to support Netanyahu, while taking advantage of the focus on Gaza to continue their aggression in the West Bank.
“The status quo is very good for Ben Gvir and Smotrich,” Elgindy said. “Netanyahu is fighting for his life and everyone is focused on Gaza so they can do whatever they want in the West Bank. The settlers are rampaging, the army is rampaging and few people are paying attention so they can carry out their radical agenda.”
Overthrown?
Netanyahu has also had many enemies over the years. These figures lined up to take action against Netanyahu, but few volunteered to take over temporarily.
As Netanyahu’s popularity declines, one of his rivals, former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, has witnessed his rise. Gantz was also a member of Netanyahu’s war cabinet and criticized the prime minister after October 7, when he blamed Israel’s military and intelligence agencies for Hamas attacks.
“He has long dreamed of (becoming PM) and describes himself as a natural leader in the middle of Israel’s political spectrum who can unite the left, right and center,” said Zachary Lockman, an expert on Palestine and Israel at New York University.
A November 14 poll found that Gantz currently leads Netanyahu by 22 percentage points. But whether Gantz can replace Netanyahu remains to be seen as he agrees to join Netanyahu’s team after October.
Meanwhile, another of Netanyahu’s political opponents, Yair Lapid, said on Wednesday that “another Likud PM” should replace Netanyahu. Lapid agrees with Netanyahu that Hamas needs to be eradicated, although Israeli and Palestinian figures have pointed out the futility of the idea.
“Interestingly, people are starting to demand that he step down (from the PM contest) now compared to after the war,” said Elgindy.
“Perhaps it’s a realization that the war isn’t going to end any time soon. Israel has very open and unclear goals, and those goals may not be achievable, at least the way they articulate them.”
This war effort costs the Israeli economy around US$ 260 million every day (Rp. 4 trillion). 300 leading Israeli and foreign economists urged Netanyahu’s government to “come to its senses immediately.”
“The war will not end with the great victory Israel believes it will,” Lockman added. “And when these disappointments happen, you know, someone has to pay the price politically.”
Watch the video below:
Moments of Hamas Slaughtering Israeli Soldiers in Beit Hanoun Gaza
(luc/luc)
2023-11-20 03:25:00
#Condemned #OpponentsCriticized #Friends #Netanyahus #Fate #Horn
