How Netanyahu survived another tumultuous year
Consider This from NPR
Deep Dive
Why did calls for Netanyahu's resignation increase after the October 7th attack?
The October 7th attack, where Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis and took 250 hostages, was seen as a massive security failure and the deadliest day in Israel's history. This led to widespread public outrage and demands for accountability.
How did Netanyahu respond to calls for his resignation in October?
Netanyahu dismissed calls for his resignation, stating that he intended to 'resign Hamas to the dustbin of history' instead.
What were the key factors contributing to Netanyahu's declining support in 2023?
Netanyahu's support declined due to the October 7th attack, his controversial judicial overhaul plan, a governing coalition with far-right ultra-nationalists, and ongoing corruption charges.
How has Netanyahu managed to maintain his position despite corruption charges and a grinding war?
Netanyahu has deflected blame onto Hamas, focused on military successes, and used his corruption trial to reinforce his image as a leader dealing with 'what really matters' in the Middle East.
What impact has the war in Gaza had on Netanyahu's popularity?
The war has somewhat improved Netanyahu's popularity, bringing him back to the level of support he had before the October 7th attack, which was around 30-40%.
Why hasn't Netanyahu's corruption trial affected his political standing?
Netanyahu has turned his corruption trial into a tool to shape his image, portraying the charges as frivolous while emphasizing his role in the ongoing military and political crises in the Middle East.
How does Netanyahu's approach to public protests differ from past Israeli leaders?
Unlike Golda Meir, who resigned after the Yom Kippur War due to public pressure, Netanyahu has dug in and refused to be swayed by protests, showing a lack of accountability or sense of responsibility.
Shownotes Transcript
At the start of this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was facing a crisis. Just a few months before, Hamas had breached Israel's border with Gaza, killing some 1,200 people in Israel on October 7th and taking more than 250 hostages back into Gaza. It was a massive security failure, the deadliest day for Israelis in the country's history.
Calls for Netanyahu's resignation began within weeks. Here's a press conference from October 30th of last year. It seems that the level of support that you have amongst the Israeli public has dropped considerably. So the question is, how can you continue to lead this country effectively during a very difficult time? And have you at all considered stepping down? The only thing that I intend to have resign is Hamas.
We're going to resign them to the dustbin of history. By January, he was staring down headlines like Netanyahu's collapsing support, can Netanyahu survive Israel's war with Hamas, and fan and foe agree Netanyahu's reign won't last. And it wasn't just October 7th that was stoking calls for his ouster. Ingrid Netanyahu had been brewing since the summer of 2023.
when hundreds of thousands of Israelis marched in protest of his plan to overhaul the country's judicial system. This was after he was forced into a governing coalition with far-right ultra-nationalists. His opponents in the Israeli parliament chanted weak as he was sworn in. And you can add to all that the corruption charges he has faced since 2019, which finally landed him in court this month. He
He's called the charges absurd and told NPR this in 2022. All politics is cruel. Israeli politics is crueler than most. I've been subjected, especially my family, to endless vilification because I keep winning elections.
Consider this. Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to ring in the new year, the 18th time he'll do it as the prime minister of Israel. Despite a corruption trial, an international arrest warrant and a grinding war, Netanyahu is still on top of Israeli politics. From NPR, I'm Juana Summers. Support comes from our 2024 lead sponsor of Consider This Anthropic.
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It's Consider This from NPR. Benjamin Netanyahu's year is ending in a courtroom. He is finally taking the stand to defend himself from those corruption charges. You might think that would be detrimental to his political career, but instead, Netanyahu looks stronger than he has since the war began. NPR's Daniel Estrin has been watching that trial, and he has been watching Netanyahu for years. He joins us now to talk about the Israeli prime minister's year. Daniel, welcome. Hi, Iwana. Hi, Daniel.
So Daniel, if you could just take us back to the beginning of the war. How much pressure was Netanyahu facing to step down? He was facing a ton of pressure. I remember the night of October 7th, the attack. I met a father in a hospital. He was looking for his missing daughter. Turned out later we learned she had been killed. And that night he was saying Netanyahu's government was to blame. He said Netanyahu's government had weakened Israel.
Because in the months before, there were these massive street protests against Netanyahu's plan to weaken the judiciary. And there were reservist soldiers who were even saying they refused to serve. And then after October 7th, a poll found that about 76% of Israelis wanted Netanyahu to resign. And at that time, I remember speaking to analysts in the first months of the war who said there was no way Netanyahu's government could hold on
But here we are. Here we are indeed. So Daniel, tell us, how has Netanyahu survived?
He's deflected blame and he's put all the focus on Hamas and he has directed all the focus away from him. Now, the war that he is waging in Gaza has, of course, led to massive destruction, the killing of more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials. It has drawn worldwide condemnation. The International Criminal Court has an arrest warrant out for Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
But in Israel, first of all, the ICC is seen as anti-Israeli by many. So those arrest warrants are not weakening him at home. And on the battlefield, Netanyahu has a lot of successes he is presenting to the Israeli public. Hamas has been severely degraded. Hezbollah in Lebanon has been beaten back. The leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah have been killed. Israel's moves have in part led to the fall of the Syrian regime,
Today, Israel bombed the Houthis in Yemen. Israel has also bombed its archenemy Iran in this war. So the narrative Netanyahu is presenting to Israel is he's led a historic comeback since the weekdays of October 7th and the aftermath. And all of those military moves that you've just described, how are those playing out for Netanyahu's popularity in Israel?
They've helped him, but only somewhat. He has regained all the support that he lost at the beginning of the war, but it's just brought him back to where he had been, which was not very popular. He only has about 30 or 40 percent support among the Israeli public today.
Throughout the year, many Israelis have protested him in the streets. They have blamed him for blocking a deal to free the Israeli hostages in Gaza. They've blamed him for, they say, worrying more about his own political survival than freeing the hostages because his far-right political partners in government have threatened to quit if he made a deal with Hamas. Despite all these protests in the streets, Netanyahu has simply dug in and he is not swayed by them.
We have been speaking with an Israeli-American pollster, Dalia Scheinlen, who has made this fascinating comparison to the last time Israel faced a surprising, devastating attack. It was the Yom Kippur War 50 years ago. And after the war, the prime minister, Golda Meir, resigned.
Mass numbers of people went out, demonstrated, and she felt a sense of responsibility and resigned. Netanyahu does not share that sense of responsibility or accountability. And Daniel, Netanyahu is also standing trial on corruption charges this month. Doesn't that also harm his popularity? It actually doesn't. His corruption trial is just another thing that Netanyahu is using to help shape his image right now. He was called to the stand this past week, and he's kind of made a show out of it. The trial was even delayed a day because he...
He went to go visit Israeli troops in Syria. So he's sending a message from the courtroom that these charges, the corruption charges he's facing, are frivolous. I, Netanyahu, am meanwhile dealing with what really matters. I'm at the forefront of history in the Middle East. NPR's Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv. Daniel, thanks. You're welcome.
This episode was produced by Connor Donovan. It was edited by Carrie Kahn and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigan. It's Consider This from NPR. I'm Juana Summers. This message is sponsored by Greenlight, the debit card and money app made for families where kids learn how to save, invest, and spend wisely with parental controls built in. Sign up this holiday season at greenlight.com slash NPR.
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