Protests in ‘Israel’ are indicative of Netanyahu’s self-implosion

Benjamin Netanyahu has completely lost it. 

Whether he decides to venture toward hammering out a ceasefire in Gaza (which he is not inclined to) or continue with his genocidal proclivities, the Israeli Prime Minister remains cornered regardless of the position his far-right government takes. No more is this evident than in the latest captives protests in “Israel”, which are calling out his administration’s failure to release the captives. The public anger has spilled over despite the Prime Minister paying tribute to the victims of the October 7, 2023 attack and vilifying Hamas for conducting a legitimate act of retaliation against decades of oppression, occupation, and murder. The truth, however, is that his mental binaries and thirst for genocide are resulting in his domestic popularity plummeting in “Israel”, which, coupled with severe castigation of his senseless genocide in Gaza internationally, hints at self-implosion.

The blame solely rests with Netanyahu and his administration’s policy-making apparatus, which has remained adamant that a so-called military solution in Gaza is the only way out of the captives crisis. This has not been the case. The military option has been characterized by bombardments, murder, genocide, and crimes against humanity against the Palestinians and has resulted in “Israel” being dragged to the ICJ by South Africa, “Israel” witnessing diplomatic rifts increasing with European countries, such as Ireland and Norway, and Netanyahu falling prey to the suspension of ties with “Israel” by countries such as Bolivia. Large-scale campus protests in some of America’s leading varsities and UN resolutions such as 2720 and 2728 being passed have been the international costs that Netanyahu has paid. This underlines his unpopularity in the international arena and his image of a genocidal totalitarian fascist who defies global opinion.

In such situations, however, controversial leaders often look inward to address domestic concerns in their respective countries. This hasn’t been the case with Netanyahu. His bombardment of Palestinian localities and refugee camps based on the so-called premise of countering Hamas has not resulted in the release of Israeli captives, which large segments of Israeli society understand. With death and destruction in Palestine and Lebanon becoming a daily occurrence and the Gaza ceasefire talks commencing once again, Netanyahu’s so-called appeals and speeches at memorials such as the Mount Herzl military cemetery in al-Quds are failing to impact Israeli public opinion, which now overwhelmingly views his government and his aides, such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir as utter failures. 

For any leader, such sentiment is a damning indictment let alone for one who is spearheading a genocide or the ethnic cleansing of an occupied population. Ideally, in such situations, even the most notorious demagogues such as Adolf Hitler or Benito Mussolini would appeal to the ‘Doctrine of Necessities’ such as seeking to uphold Aryan supremacy to placate public anger. For Netanyahu, however, the narrative of ‘safeguarding Israel’s right to self-defense’ is hollow and doesn’t resonate with the average Israeli citizen who has witnessed no action from their government to release their family members. This inability to sway public opinion is indicative of a highly unpopular and repulsive leader, which adds to Netanyahu’s unenviable profile.  

The effects of such hypocrisy and defiance are damaging. Netanyahu has now lost significant political capital in 2024, which puts his far-right government in a tight spot. Data published by the Statista Research Department of Germany, (in one of the most pro-“Israel” countries in Europe), points at 58% of Israelis holding an unfavorable view of Netanyahu in the Spring of 2024, which is a massive departure from his peaking popularity in 2015. The other 42% reveals the controversial societal orientation of large segments of Israeli society, which subscribe to Zionism’s toxic ideology of eliminating Palestinians and have become an active constituency in “Israel”. This is now a vote bank that Netanyahu banks on amid controversy over captives, except that they too would want the swift release of captives. As a result, failure to change course could result in Netanyahu losing more political capital in traditional strongholds too.

The question then is – Does Netanyahu have a captives plan? The bigoted, deluded, and racist segments of Israeli society would certainly believe so. The truth, however, is that Netanyahu’s reiterations of “Israel” overcoming Hamas through military force and releasing captives as a consequence is not based on a plan, an end game, or a strategy. Instead, it deflects from the actual objective or ‘solution’ which is to murder Palestinians and commit war crimes that present the Israeli population with more problems instead of solutions. Such acts of genocide, for example, only serve to embolden the legitimate Palestinian Resistance against the occupation forces and raise domestic questions in the Israeli public on the viability of such murderous sprees. 

Both situations point to Netanyahu’s abject failure. 

The intensity of disillusionment is also exemplified in the form of 1,000 Israelis storming Netanyahu’s residence in al-Quds, while many more stage sit-ins in places like the Knesset café, demanding a captives deal. The problem, however, is that Netanyahu is incapable of budging, as both he himself and his administration only adopt binary approaches. This includes refuting ceasefire calls or considering every Palestinian child as a potential “terrorist”, which makes a mockery of “Israel’s” so-called image in the Western world as an entity that respects personal freedoms, accommodates and integrates its Arab citizens, and remains a perpetual victim of terrorism. 

The truth is the complete opposite. It is Netanyahu himself who has made a mockery of “Israel” and Israeli society with his bigotry now leading to his self-implosion in 2024. The captives protests are indicative of this fact.