Since the atrocities committed by Hamas in Israel, the population has been mobilizing to help the soldiers, the displaced and the victims of the attacks. But criticism is increasing against the Israeli Prime Minister and his government.
The gathering took place in Tel Aviv (Israel), a week after the unprecedented Hamas attack which left more than 1,400 dead in the Jewish state. On Saturday October 14, a demonstration was organized in support of the families of the victims of these atrocities, while revealing divisions over the responsibility of the authorities, reports France 24. “Hamas are predatory animals, but 57 years of occupation have brought us here today,” defended a protester, interviewed by the channel.
More than a week after the attack by the Palestinian terrorist organization against Israel, national unity within the Jewish state has not erased divisions and strong criticism of the government of Benyamin Netanyahu. Anger is beginning to be expressed against the Prime Minister and his most right-wing coalition in the country’s history, while part of the opposition has refused, at this stage, to participate in the emergency government initiated in the lineage of the conflict.
Anger crossing several fringes of society
Since the surprise and massive assault by Hamas, the Israeli population has been widely mobilized and united, through multiple initiatives, to help the army and the displaced populations, describes The world. “We see how people are mobilizing to help reservists and soldiers, we see cars filled with clothes, food,” famous to franceinfo Yossi Mekelberg, researcher at the British think tank Chatham House and specialist in the Israeli-Palestinian question.
However, several voices were also raised to express their anger towards the Israeli authorities, faced with their inability to anticipate acts of such seriousness. These criticisms directly targeted two ministers during their visits to hospitals. “You have destroyed the country! Get out of here!”, said an Israeli woman to the Minister of Environmental Protection Idit Silman, in the Assaf Harofeh hospital in Beer Yaakov. “We will manage without you (…) You have destroyed the government”, then tackled a doctor, pushing the minister to leave the health center, reports International mail. His colleague Nir Barkat, Minister of the Economy, was in turn arrested at Sheba hospital in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv. A citizen present during his visit urged him to “ask for forgiveness from the Israelis”, and resign.
“There is obviously anger against Hamas, but also anger against the government and the Prime Minister. Part of the social contract between a people and its government is the fact of guaranteeing the security of the population. It is a failure total.”
Yossi Mekelberg, researcher, specialist in the Israeli-Palestinian questionat franceinfo
Critics are also expressed in the fringes of society more sympathetic to Benyamin Netanyahu. “He deceived us. We trusted him because he freed up funds for education in religious schools. But what good is money when our children’s throats are slit and our women are raped?” Rabbi Eliezer Moshia reacted to AFP.
“We believed during the first hours that there was a national union which was very solid and powerful. In fact, polls and reactions show that there is quite deep anger against Netanyahu,” analysis from franceinfo Thomas Vescovi, independent researcher in contemporary history and author of The Failure of a Utopia, a history of the left in Israel (ed. La Découverte). The specialist on the Israeli-Palestinian question notes that titles “from the right-wing Israeli press” are “very critical of Netanyahu”, like everyday life Israel Hayom. “All this escaped Israeli intelligence, which knew nothing about it. In this respect, it is perhaps even more serious than the failure of 1973, tackles the newspaper, cited by The Express. Israel today is much stronger intelligence-wise and operationally, especially against a weak and constrained enemy like Hamas. He should not suffer such a tactical and strategic surprise.”
Benjamin Netanyahu strongly criticized
For Yossi Mekelberg, “just look at the opinion polls” to see that Likud, the right-wing party of Benjamin Netanyahu, “has completely collapsed. It shows you how angry people are.” A survey relayed by the Jerusalem Post, Friday, shows that the Prime Minister obtains an average approval rating of 4.2 out of 10 in his handling of the conflict, and 42% of respondents give him a rating of barely 1 out of 10. A little less than a third of Israelis interviewed judge it “still qualified to be prime minister.” However, 71% express their confidence in the IDF, the army of the Jewish state.
Since October 7, comments have multiplied against the policies pursued by the head of government. “The cataclysm that is shattering Israel is clearly the responsibility of a single person: Benjamin Netanyahu. wrote the Israeli newspaper Haaretz the day after the attack. “Our Prime Minister (…) clearly did not take seriously the threats to which he exposed Israel by setting up a government of annexation and dispossession (…) while adopting a foreign policy which explicitly denies Palestinian rights.”
The Likud president has in recent years defended the idea that “Hamas did not present a major danger to Israel”, deciphers the researcher and political scientist Samy Cohen with The Conversation. “Iit was necessary to preserve its presence in the Gaza Strip in order to convince Israeli society and the international community that there was no partner for peace, since Palestinian society was fractured between, on the one hand, Hamas and, on the other hand, Fatah”, analyzes the emeritus research director at the Center for International Studies and Research (Ceri) at Sciences Po.
“Anyone who wants to thwart the creation of a Palestinian state must support the strengthening of Hamas and transfer money to it. This is part of our strategy.”
Benjamin Netanyahuduring a Likud meeting in 2019
The Palestinian Islamist organization was thus able to receive funding from Qatar and “the intelligence services (Israelis) fell asleep”. The researcher adds that the Israeli military presence around Gaza was not sufficient, because “the main effort was on the West Bank”: “For two years, the Israeli government has continued to strengthen the security of the settlements.” The political priority given to the occupation of territories in the West Bank, but also to the control of the Israeli judicial power, played into this military unpreparedness, supports Vox. The information site also notes “the first political concerns” of Benyamin Netanyahu, accused of corruption: “stay in power and avoid prison”.
An emergency government, but without part of the opposition
On Thursday, five days after the Hamas assault, the Israeli Parliament confirmed the formation of a war cabinet and an emergency government given the seriousness of the situation. “The unity government that we are putting in place will send a very powerful message,” declared Benjamin Netanyahu before this confirmation.
This new government should have been formed after 24 hours and not five days after the attack, according to Yossi Mekelberg. At the end of four days of negotiations, it counts among its members Benny Gantz, rival of “Bibi”, as well as five members of his centrist party. However, the leader of the opposition, Yaïr Lapid, refused at this stage to join him, castigating a formation including “extremists”. The centrist “refused to support the maintenance of far-right parties in power”, develops Thomas Vescovi. “He felt that these people were part of the problem, because they inflamed tensions with the Palestinians.”
“If I had thought that what is happening today is a real unity government, I would have gone there,” Yaïr Lapid further declared. While affirming, with its movement, the desire to“help in any way possible”.