Israel: Netanyahu's political future is at stake after Hamas attack and bombing of Gaza

Analysts believe that the future of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be at stake after the unprecedented attack launched by Hamas on Israel. According to one former member of the Israeli parliament, this is the beginning of Netanyahu’s downfall.

Daniel Bensimon acknowledges that this is not the first time there has been talk about the end of Netanyahu’s long political career. “Nevertheless, the mistake he made this time is very grave. He failed in his main mission, which is to ensure the protection of his people,” he told AFP. “Because of him, the state and the army were absent on Saturday, 7 October at the border of the Gaza Strip. He will pay a heavy price.”

Hamas fighters surprised Israel with Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, during which they infiltrated areas in southern Israel by sea, land and air, coinciding with the firing of thousands of rockets at Israel. They took at least 155 prisoners of war and hostages.

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The operation was followed by intense Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip. The death toll in Israel is now more than 1,400, while the occupation state has killed almost 3,000 Palestinians, one quarter of them children. More than 10,000 have been wounded.

Israel’s longest-serving prime minister may see his political career may end if a government investigation concludes that he is responsible for the killings during the Hamas attack, according to the Israeli authorities and media. Netanyahu’s Likud Party believes that the formation of an investigation committee after the war is “inevitable”. Michel Ben-Ami, head of the Likud office managing social issues, told AFP: “There will be a committee formed by a national unity government, and if [Netanyahu] made a mistake, he will have to pay the price. In the meantime, there is a war to be fought, and the prime minister is in the leadership position.”

Netanyahu failed across the board, claimed political expert Akiva Eldar. “He ignored the military’s warnings. He gave priority to settlement in the [occupied] West Bank and neglected the leftist kibbutzim in general. He remained captive to a misconception that Hamas would never dare attack us with such brutality.” Moreover, added Eldar, he is unable to make a decision.

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“Netanyahu is not legally obligated to [resign],” said local policy analyst Hanan Crustal, “but the pressure of public opinion will reach a level that will leave him no choice. Otherwise, the whole country will take to the streets.”

One commentator on Israeli radio went in the same direction, pointing out that the formation of an “emergency and war government” that included the opposition “should have happened within 48 hours after the tragedy, but [Netanyahu] waited five days. It is a real scandal.”

A senior government official told AFP that no emergency government meeting was held when Hamas launched its attack.

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As well as his troubles with his planned reform of the judiciary which has led to huge demonstrations across Israel since January, Netanyahu has been indicted in three corruption cases. Despite this, he won the latest legislative election in November last year and formed the most extreme right-wing coalition government in Israeli history.

People are far from happy with the prime minister, though. “He tricked us,” Rabbi Eliezer Moshea told AFP in the Old City of Jerusalem. “We trusted him because he allocated money for education in Talmudic schools. But what is the use of money when our children are being slaughtered and our women are raped? He should resign. He is no longer fit to rule.”

Netanyahu’s opponents believe that the division he has caused within Israeli society with his judicial reform plan will backfire on him. “He called his opponents traitors, but they are the ones who were [killed] at the hands of Hamas,” said one radio commentator, “and they are also the ones who will go to Gaza to settle the matter.”

Jerusalem taxi driver Ramim Atali was more forthright: “Prison. That is where he should end his political career. What he did is unforgivable, and he knows it.”

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