Before the recent escalation in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel wasn’t typically seen as a leader who took significant risks. His words were often bold, but his actions were usually more cautious. However, with the military push into Gaza City, it seems he has shed all inhibitions.
This aggressive operation, which Netanyahu states is essential to defeat Hamas, is almost certainly increasing Israel’s isolation as global outrage grows. It has already caused countless Palestinian casualties and forced hundreds of thousands to flee south. It makes any immediate ceasefire virtually impossible and has even faced internal opposition from the military’s chief of staff.
Yet, Netanyahu’s message to these challenges appears to be: ‘Bring it on.’
Just this week, he proposed that Israel should strive to become a ‘super Sparta,’ suggesting the nation draw inspiration from the ancient Greek city-state known for its rigorous military discipline. During an economic conference, he hinted that Israel might need to embrace ‘autarky,’ or economic self-sufficiency, to cope with potential isolation.
Itamar Rabinovich, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States, commented, ‘He’s lost it. There are no more red lines.’
Despite facing harsh criticism from the anguished families of hostages, massive street protests, and alienated European allies due to the bombardment of Gaza, which has claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives, Netanyahu remains steadfastly defiant.
Protesting in “Hostage Square,” in Tel Aviv, last week. (Credit: Jack Guez/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images)
This month, he explicitly declared, ‘there will be no Palestinian state.’ While preventing a Palestinian state has been a long-standing goal of his political career, his recent statements are notably more direct. This assertion directly contradicts many nations, including France, Britain, Canada, and Australia, which plan to recognize a state of Palestine at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly.
However, it would be naive to assume that Netanyahu’s increasingly brazen pronouncements signal his imminent political downfall.
Having served as prime minister for nearly 18 years, making him the nation’s longest-serving leader, he has repeatedly demonstrated his shrewd, adaptable, and often ruthless leadership. His dedicated followers, using his nickname, passionately chant, ‘Only Bibi!’
To his supporters, he is an indispensable ‘King,’ the sole figure capable of confronting Israel’s adversaries on multiple fronts. His military campaigns against Hezbollah in Lebanon and efforts to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions have even led some in the region to speak of an ‘imperial Israel.’
Ironically, his seemingly weakest adversary has proven to be his most formidable. He initially believed military might alone could force Hamas to surrender or disappear, but has continually been forced to adjust his strategy.
Conversely, his opponents, who cry ‘Anything but Bibi,’ view Netanyahu as actively undermining Israeli democracy.
In this critical period for Israel, Netanyahu benefits from one significant advantage: the largely unquestioning support of President Trump. The world’s shift towards authoritarianism, partly driven by Trump’s influence, has seemingly unleashed an unconstrained Bibi. He feels emboldened, more confident than ever that America will back him, no matter his actions.
Israeli soldiers standing next to armored personnel carriers near the border with Gaza on Tuesday. (Credit: Amir Cohen/Reuters)
“Trump is the only person on earth who can dictate to Bibi what he should do,” remarked Ehud Olmert, a former prime minister and outspoken critic of Netanyahu. “He has the power to save thousands of lives.”
However, it remains uncertain whether Trump would ever genuinely challenge Netanyahu’s decisions in such a direct manner.
“Netanyahu is a real leader, there are not many leaders of his stature in history,” stated Daniella Weiss, a prominent figure in the settler movement. This movement has gained considerable momentum and freedom to expand West Bank settlements since the devastating October 7 Hamas attack, which claimed approximately 1,200 lives.
Despite his nationalist and religious base, Netanyahu is widely unpopular. Many suspect him of prioritizing his own political survival over the nation’s interests by prolonging the Gaza war, which critics argue should have concluded long ago.
Liberal factions in Israel, undeterred by the prevailing right-wing sentiment, see him as dismantling the state’s fundamental values and the core of Jewish ethics. They believe this is happening through a relentless military campaign that continues to cause widespread Palestinian civilian casualties without a clear, achievable objective. Meanwhile, Israeli hostages have endured over 700 days in captivity.
“What Netanyahu is doing now in Gaza is outrageously brutal,” Olmert asserted. “How can ministers at the highest level say all Gazans are Hamas and then herd them into camps? We are in a fight for the soul of Israel.”
A recent Channel 12 poll indicated that Netanyahu’s Likud party would lead any upcoming election with 24 seats. However, it also suggested that his far-right coalition would fall short of the 120 seats needed in the Knesset to maintain power. Still, with elections more than a year away, Netanyahu’s political options are far from exhausted.
During a two-day visit this week by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, there was no hint of American disapproval, even after Israel’s recent attempt to assassinate Hamas leaders in Qatar, a key American ally. Rubio affirmed that the United States would not negotiate with Hamas, labeling it ‘a terrorist group, a barbaric group, whose stated mission is the destruction of the Jewish state.’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem on Sunday. (Credit: Pool photo by Nathan Howard)
Trump seemingly desires an immediate end to the Gaza war, with all hostages released and Hamas defeated, whatever that truly entails. Whether Trump supports a two-state solution, a long-held position of most past U.S. administrations, remains ambiguous; his pronouncements often suggest otherwise.
The president’s statements on the conflict are unpredictable and often show impatience, yet they consistently express unwavering support for Israel, providing Netanyahu with considerable room to maneuver.
Just two months ago, Netanyahu seemed to be seriously considering a potential deal with Hamas: the release of 10 living Israeli hostages in exchange for a large number of Palestinian prisoners and a 60-day ceasefire, during which a permanent end to the war would be negotiated.
However, after a visit to Washington and a meeting with Trump, he reconsidered. He then proceeded with plans for the assault on Gaza City, prolonging the war and intensifying the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.
This decision appeared to be driven by his instincts for self-preservation. The conclusion of the war presents numerous risks for Netanyahu. These include the potential collapse of his coalition due to objections from right-wing ministers, an official inquiry into the October 7 debacle, a full public accounting of Israel’s wartime actions, and the removal of protection from his personal legal battles.
A state of war, presented by him as an existential threat to Israel, better serves Netanyahu’s political interests. It plays directly to his tactical strengths. Ultimately, in the eyes of many outraged supporters and the hostages’ families, his own survival takes precedence over the fate of the captives.
“My Matan is being sacrificed on Netanyahu’s altar,” lamented Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, on Tuesday.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right minister of national security, explicitly endorsed Netanyahu’s decision to move into Gaza City this week via social media. He wrote, “The decisive moment has come,” accompanied by emojis of fire and a red ‘X,’ seemingly symbolizing the complete destruction of either Hamas, Gaza, or both.
For his part, Netanyahu recently declared, “Life is more important than the law.”
He has clearly staked everything on crafting a triumphant legacy that will overshadow his accountability for the October 7, 2023, events, widely considered Israel’s greatest defeat. His chosen path has been long and divisive, marked by Israel’s military dominance in the region, but at a devastating cost to the Palestinian people and profoundly damaging to his own country.
Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border on Tuesday. (Credit: Amir Cohen/Reuters)
Adam Rasgon contributed reporting from Tel Aviv, and Gabby Sobelman from Rehovot, Israel.