Netanyahu between Street Anger and the Grip of the Right… Limits of Tolerance “at Risk”

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The weekend was far from favorable for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is left with fewer options than ever before.

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The discovery of six hostages’ bodies in Gaza at the beginning of the week has ignited Israeli anger, with many feeling they are on the brink of a major turning point.

CNN notes that with increasing protests and labor union strikes, the coming weeks for Israel are unpredictable. The network points out that these well-tested democratic tools have toppled governments before, though Netanyahu is described as an exceptionally resilient politician.

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Netanyahu and his far-right government are working to halt legal protests and strikes through judicial orders, which appear to have succeeded, at least in the short term.

On Monday, the Tel Aviv Labor Court ordered the stoppage of the “Histadrut” general labor union strike in Israel just hours after it began, ruling it “political.”

This decision sided with Netanyahu in the lawsuit filed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich against the strike.

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Smotrich welcomed the court’s decision, stating in a report: “The court accepted our stance and ruled that the Histadrut strike was political and illegal.”

However, despite the uncertainty, this turbulent moment has been building for months.

With increasing frustration as Netanyahu tries to reach an agreement with Hamas to release the remaining 101 hostages from Gaza, including 35 believed dead, it’s not surprising that Hamas is in control of the situation, according to CNN.

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The American network highlighted that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is exploiting Netanyahu‘s weaknesses, with his vulnerability to public opinion being the most powerful.

But is Netanyahu ready to accept this step?

CNN suggests that Sinwar‘s moves may be calculated to weaken Netanyahu‘s resolve, producing predictable effects.

Unlike Palestinians in Gaza, Israelis have the ability to challenge their leadership. Clashes late Sunday night on the busy eight-lane Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv are an example of this.

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With flames and thick smoke rising from wooden barricades and burning tires on the roads, CNN described a young man holding blue spray paint, writing his message to the Prime Minister on a roadside wall: “Hostages or revolution.”

CNN also interviewed two teenage girls speaking clear English, who said they had never attended a protest before, but the death of Goldberg Pauline and the five other hostages forced them to come out on Sunday night.

When asked if they thought the protests would change Netanyahu‘s mind, they responded without hesitation that they doubted it.

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Challenges from the Far Right

Netanyahu faces numerous challenges, especially with his unprecedented coalition government, surrounded by far-right nationalists like Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

This duo routinely threatens to collapse the coalition if Netanyahu is perceived as softening towards Hamas. They owe much of their power to him.

Realizing that their time in government could be limited, these far-right members focus their influence on policies like settlement expansion to strengthen their own base. Toppling Netanyahu would be self-destructive for them, which is why they are at the forefront of efforts to end strikes and protests, according to CNN.

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The network concludes that one measure of potential change will be how courageous protesters are against police emboldened by court orders and Ben Gvir’s crackdowns.

Despite his political skills that have kept him in office amid Israel’s largest protests, the question on the streets is: how long can Netanyahu endure?

CNN suggests that the coming days, like last Sunday when Israelis found themselves caught between grief, frustration, and anger, will challenge Netanyahu more than ever.

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He is not only facing his usual foes, the country’s liberal left, but he is also in a decisive battle with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Additionally, Netanyahu is facing a strained relationship with the U.S. and its president, Joe Biden, who accused him on Monday of not doing enough to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.