Netanyahu’s Political Survival Fuels Gaza War Amid Israeli Protests
As Israel escalates its military offensive in Gaza, Netanyahu faces growing internal criticism for prioritizing political survival over hostage recovery and national security.
Watan-For the second consecutive day, the Israeli occupation government has continued its military campaign against Gaza, after killing and injuring nearly 1,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians. The attacks constitute a deliberate violation of both the ceasefire agreement and the January deal with Hamas, mediated by international actors.
However, Tel Aviv refuses to fully comply with the agreement’s terms, despite widespread Israeli criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for political maneuvering and prioritizing personal survival over national interests, as public protests intensify across Israel for various reasons.
Netanyahu’s Political Motives Behind the War
Many Israeli analysts and observers argue that the renewed aggression on Gaza is primarily driven by Netanyahu’s internal political calculations. His motives include:
- Appeasing the far-right Zionist base
- Reintegrating extremist minister Itamar Ben Gvir into the government
- Ensuring the approval of the state budget at the end of the month
- Maintaining the ruling coalition and staying in power
This perspective is echoed by Haaretz’s military analyst Amos Harel, who, in an article titled “For Netanyahu”, argues that the military operation is being justified as necessary to break the deadlock in negotiations, while also serving as Netanyahu’s attempt to fulfill his promise to crush Hamas—even though the timelines of these two objectives do not align.
Harel states:”At its core, this war is purely about Netanyahu’s political survival. It’s about bringing Ben Gvir back into the government—something that was achieved with remarkable speed. This time, it truly is Netanyahu’s personal war, including an effort to shift media attention away from the growing protests against him. For Netanyahu, the lives of the hostages are a price worth paying for his political survival.”
“The Goal of This War is to Restore Ben Gvir, Not the Hostages”
Israeli retired general Noam Tibon reinforced this view in an interview with Israeli public radio, stating:
“The objective of this war is to bring Ben Gvir back into the government, not to retrieve the hostages.”
Tibon went as far as comparing Netanyahu to Hamas, accusing him of:
- Deliberately disrupting the hostage deal
- Violating the ceasefire agreement
- Enabling Hamas to escalate the situation further
He added:”Hamas cannot be left in power, but where was Netanyahu for the past year and a half? There must be a clear priority—hostages should be rescued in one coordinated move.”
However, Netanyahu insists that Israel’s security establishment recommended the military operation.
Tibon countered this claim, saying:”No one trusts Netanyahu. Even senior military officials, including Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, have different priorities.”
Divisions Within Israel’s Security Establishment
Reports from Israeli media leaks indicate deep divisions within Israel’s security agencies:
- Most security chiefs support airstrikes but oppose escalation due to the risk posed to Israeli hostages
- Military commanders reject a ground invasion, fearing heavy casualties among Israeli soldiers
- Apart from Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, no senior security figure has publicly supported violating the ceasefire
Netanyahu’s Personal Ambitions Behind the War
Netanyahu’s primary focus remains on himself, with his top priorities being:
- Clinging to power
- Avoiding an official commission of inquiry
- Suppressing growing protests, particularly over his dismissal of the Shin Bet chief
- Diverting attention from corruption investigations into his close advisors
However, he has other political motives that also fuel his insistence on continuing the war, despite being forced to halt it two months ago under pressure from former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Netanyahu refuses to acknowledge the failure of his war strategy, despite it being the longest, most brutal, and most destructive war in Israeli history. He is determined to continue the assault in hopes of fulfilling his publicly declared goal: the total destruction of Hamas—a move he believes might redeem his image among Israelis, who overwhelmingly blame him for the catastrophic failure on October 7.
Netanyahu’s Ultimate Goal: Historical Legacy and Political Survival
Beyond political tactics, Netanyahu seeks something even bigger and more dangerous:
- Rebuilding his tarnished image
- Securing his place in history
- Projecting himself as Israel’s ultimate “security leader”
As the son of a historian, Netanyahu is obsessed with historical legacy, seeing himself as:
- “Israel’s Churchill”
- “The Middle East’s Abu Ali”
- “The master of Israeli security”
In pursuit of this delusional ambition, he does not care about:
- The fate of Israeli hostages
- The suffering of civilians in Gaza
- The financial cost of prolonged war
He is willing to go to any lengths for what he considers a “victory”, even if it brings Israel before the International Criminal Court ten more times.
Who Will Restrain Netanyahu?
Netanyahu, who has lied, maneuvered, and manipulated his way into prolonging the war, openly signaled his intentions in his televised speech last night, where he declared:
“This is just the beginning. I am determined to achieve the two objectives of this war: retrieving the hostages and destroying Hamas.”
His ambitions have grown after Trump’s recent statements, in which the former U.S. president:
- Threatened Hamas with annihilation
- Called for the displacement of Gaza’s population
Ironically, it was Trump himself who pressured Netanyahu to halt the war two months ago in pursuit of a regional political deal. However, Netanyahu has since misled the Biden administration, demonized Hamas, and shifted the blame onto them, all in an effort to delay the peace process and eradicate Biden’s diplomatic legacy.
Netanyahu will not stop his war ambitions unless:
- Israeli street protests grow into a mass movement—similar to the 2023 anti-judicial overhaul protests
- Israeli citizens realize the war is endangering their own hostages
- Corruption scandals escalate, forcing legal consequences
- Trump changes his stance, pressuring Netanyahu again
- Western and Arab states intensify pressure to halt the war
Mounting Israeli Discontent
The exhausted and frustrated Israeli public may soon take stronger action—not out of concern for Palestinian lives, but out of:
- Fear for the fate of the Israeli hostages
- Growing concerns over government corruption
- Opposition to Netanyahu’s authoritarian tendencies
Former Israeli Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch warned that Netanyahu is turning Israel into a dictatorship, similar to Poland, a sentiment echoed by tens of thousands of protesters in Tel Aviv last night.
Among them were former security chiefs, including ex-Shin Bet director Yossi Cohen, who publicly criticized Netanyahu’s dealings with Qatar and called for his immediate resignation.
Cohen declared at the protest:”Netanyahu cannot escape responsibility.”
