The Netanyahu paradox: Palestine’s unlikeliest, most potent advocate

For nearly 77 years, the Israeli narrative has eclipsed the Palestinian perspective. In the aftermath of World War II, a profound sense of Western guilt over the Holocaust paved the way for the creation of Israel. This new state, however, quickly evolved into what many now describe as a colonial, settler, and genocidal entity, operating for decades with a disturbing sense of impunity. Israel faced no significant repercussions, no consistent condemnation, and indeed no sanction for its relentless expansion and the dispossession of Palestinians. 

Then came 7 October 2023, a day that irrevocably altered this dynamic. Suddenly, the world bore witness to the brutal realities of the conflict, as images and reports of widespread destruction and immense loss of life—with over 50,000 Palestinians reportedly killed—began to surface. For the first time, international bodies and nations began to act: South Africa, invoking the 1948 Genocide Convention, bravely brought Israel before the International Court of Justice, where it faced severe condemnation, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor, Karim Khan, in November 2024, issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant. Across Western capitals, from London to Berlin and even within the United States, unprecedented protests erupted, signalling a massive shift in public opinion.

The 7 October catalyst: A brutal reckoning and a global awakening

The events of 7 October 2023, irreversibly changed narrative control. The Hamas-led attacks on Israeli communities, which resulted in the tragic killing of approximately 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and the taking of over 200 hostages, served as a profound shockwave, eliciting widespread international condemnation and immediate solidarity with Israel. However, it was the scale and nature of Israel’s subsequent military response in Gaza that truly began to dismantle decades of unchallenged narrative.

What followed was an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, visible to the world in real-time through digital media and reports from the ground. The Israeli offensive, aimed at dismantling Hamas, led to a relentless bombardment and ground invasion of the densely populated Gaza Strip. The figures are stark and devastating according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, over 57,000 Palestinians have been killed, with more than 137,000 injured as of early July 2025. A significant majority of these casualties are women and children, transforming Gaza into what the UN Secretary-General has termed a “graveyard of children.” The widespread destruction is almost unimaginable, with more than 66 per cent of housing structures destroyed, reducing vast areas to 42 million tons of debris, estimated to take 15 years to clear.

READ: Israel cuts power, water to UN agency for Palestinian refugees

A global reckoning: The unfolding of accountability and shifting sands of diplomacy

The horrific scale of destruction and the manufactured humanitarian crisis in Gaza did not go unnoticed; instead, they ignited a profound and unprecedented global reckoning. For the first time in decades, the international community’s long-standing deference to Israel began to erode, replaced by a surge of legal challenges, widespread public condemnation, and notable shifts in diplomatic postures.

At the forefront of this legal offensive was South Africa’s landmark case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In an act of profound international solidarity, South Africa accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, alongside Hamas leaders, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Perhaps most symbolically, in June 2024, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, added the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to the UN’s “list of shame” in his annual report on children and armed conflict. This list identifies parties responsible for grave violations against children, including killing, maiming, and attacks on schools and hospitals. Even within Western diplomatic circles, cracks began to appear in the façade of unconditional support. While the United States largely maintained its backing, countries like Spain, Norway, and Ireland formally recognized the State of Palestine during the Gaza war. 

Netanyahu: Future Palestinian generations will forever remember him 

In a profound and deeply unsettling twist of fate, the very leader who has long epitomized an uncompromising stance against Palestinian aspirations—Benjamin Netanyahu—has inadvertently become the most significant catalyst for a global reawakening to the Palestinian cause. For decades, Netanyahu has pursued a political agenda characterized by expansionism, the weakening of Palestinian institutions, and a steadfast rejection of genuine statehood. His reliance on hardline, ultra-nationalist elements within his government and a consistent prioritization of perceived security through military might led him to dismiss international concerns and diplomatic pressure. Yet, it is precisely this unyielding approach, amplified by the events post-October 7th, that has ripped away Israel’s long-held narrative shield.

Netanyahu’s strategic calculus, often aimed at consolidating power and ensuring his political survival, appears to have spectacularly backfired on the international stage. His government’s aggressive military campaign, coupled with the severe restrictions on humanitarian aid that have pushed Gaza to the brink of famine, created an undeniable spectacle of human suffering that could not be ignored or easily spun away. The sheer scale of death and destruction, documented in real-time by a world connected through social media, starkly contradicted the image of a restrained, defensive military. What was intended to be a decisive blow against Hamas has, for vast swathes of the global population, exposed a perceived disregard for civilian lives and international law, transforming Israel into what critics now widely refer to as a “pariah state.”

READ: Hamas says Netanyahu “unwilling” to conclude deal

The global shift is palpable. A recent Pew Research Center survey of 24 countries revealed overwhelmingly negative views of Israel and, even more starkly, a widespread lack of confidence in Netanyahu’s leadership to do what is right in world affairs. This decline in trust now affects even Israel’s longtime allies, with younger people frequently at the forefront of criticism. Netanyahu’s perceived “war lust,” as some Israeli and international commentators have termed it, and his government’s open embrace of policies that threaten to reoccupy Gaza or further annex the West Bank, have alienated even moderate voices who once advocated for Israel’s security.

In this grim, paradoxical reality, Netanyahu’s policies have done more to mobilize global sympathy and advocacy for Palestinians than decades of diplomatic efforts or grassroots campaigns. The legal challenges at the ICJ and ICC, the placement of the IDF on the UN “list of shame,” the recognition of Palestine by several European nations, and the unprecedented wave of global protests—all these monumental shifts can be seen, in part, as an unwitting consequence of a leadership that pushed the boundaries of acceptable international conduct too far.

While the immediate future remains fraught with uncertainty and immense suffering for Palestinians, the long-term implications of this narrative upheaval are profound. The once-monolithic support for Israel has fractured, its perceived impunity challenged at every level. The international conversation has irrevocably shifted, focusing not just on Israeli security but with unprecedented urgency on Palestinian rights, statehood, and the imperative of accountability. In this strange and unsettling confluence of events, Benjamin Netanyahu, through the very ferocity of his actions, has unwittingly become the most potent, albeit indirect, advocate for a cause he spent his career attempting to suppress, thereby fundamentally reshaping the global understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for generations to come. Subsequent Palestinian generations may attribute their eventual freedom to their sustained resistance, commitment to their cause, and the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu.

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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.