Growing criticism of Netanyahu
Before the brutal 7 October attack on Israel by radical-Islamic Hamas there were mass demonstrations against Benjamin Netanyahu and his ultranationalist religious goverment. These have now disappeared in the face of the threat to the country, but criticism is still being voiced, such as when Netanyahu blamed the intelligence network for not warning about the terror attacks. In the eyes of media commentators, Netanyahu is simply incompetent.
PM only exacerbating the situation
The prime minister is incapable of managing the crisis in his country, Spotmedia scoffs:
“Hungary's experience shows that illiberal leaders can solve bogus crises but offer no solutions in the event of a real crisis like the Hamas attack, which threatened Israel's entire security and intelligence system. Furthermore, politicians who shore up their power by forming coalitions with extremists are unable to keep things under control, and actually risk making the situation worse. This is where Benjamin Netanyahu is now. He is using the tried-and-tested strategy of appealing to a 'restorative nostalgia', and thus exacerbating the polarisation.”
Demonstrations despite war
Netanyahu is not a credible leader, Phileleftheros states:
“He is a divisive politician who has placed his own interests and political survival above national interests. ... Even though the country is in the middle of a war which threatens to escalate into a regional conflict, there are demonstrations calling for his resignation. ... Shortly after the Hamas attack on Israel he issued a statement saying that the country would stand united against the threat, and that the war was an issue of concern to everyone. Words that have lost all meaning since it emerged that his son is staying in Miami instead of returning to Israel to fight, as thousands of other reservists have done.”
Wrong man at the wrong time
Rzeczpospolita writes:
“Biden is beginning to sketch out a plan that would give Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authorities control over the Gaza Strip once Hamas has been driven out. But this won't be possible without a return to serious negotiations on the creation of a Palestinian state. ... Netanyahu will never play along though. The country's most important politician for the last two decades has not only failed to conduct serious negotiations on the issue but he has also supported the brutal settlement policy in the West Bank. The polarisation of society was exacerbated further when Netanyahu entered a coalition with far-right extremists.”