Netanyahu at war with Israel: A Nation in Moral Freefall – From Hostages to the Army and the Shabak

By Elijah J. Magnier – 

While the killing of Palestinians in Gaza continues daily with impunity and the Strip remains under humanitarian siege for almost two months, Israel is facing an unprecedented internal reckoning. For the first time in its history, public confidence in both the government and the military – once pillars of national pride and unity – has been fundamentally shaken. The crisis of confidence, unfolding amid the ongoing war in Gaza, is deeper and more volatile than any in Israel’s 75-year existence. What was once unthinkable has become reality: large sections of the Israeli public now believe that both the government and the military are manipulating information, putting political survival above truth, national interest and even the lives of Israeli citizens held hostage in Gaza.

Netanyahu’s political dilemma At the centre of this divide is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces a lose-lose scenario. If he escalates the war in Gaza, the political fallout and mounting Israeli military casualties could trigger a massive public backlash and international condemnation – with the exception of the US – that would likely endanger his government. On the other hand, agreeing to a ceasefire in exchange for the return of the hostages would be seen as a concession and a defeat, leading to a political collapse within his fragile coalition. Either path threatens his hold on power.

This political stalemate has left Netanyahu paralysed, unwilling to move decisively in either direction but continuing his wars on several fronts. He has opted for a dangerous middle ground: rejecting meaningful negotiations while ordering the Israeli army to move slowly and cautiously through Gaza, using an indiscriminate air campaign. This strategy appears calculated to minimise Israeli military casualties and maintain domestic support among military families, while prolonging the conflict to avoid political reckoning and accountability.

So far, the renewed assault on Gaza has not come at a high human cost for Israeli reservists, and all the demonstrations against Netanyahu demanding a deal to free all Israeli hostages do not threaten Netanyahu’s power, as he still holds a majority in the Knesset.