Netanyahu’s Perpetual War: Between Power and Collapse
JERUSALEM —
More than four in five Jewish Israelis — 82 percent, according to a June Haaretz poll — now say they support expelling Gazans from the Strip. The figure is overwhelming, and it explains why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s popularity has surged during the war. He is more popular than at any point in recent years, his coalition fortified by a Jewish public that backs maximalist measures in Gaza and sees him as the indispensable wartime leader.
For Netanyahu, peace is not a path to security. It is a political execution. By contrast, war serves as the shield behind which he protects himself from accountability.
The Political Machinery of Perpetual War
Netanyahu still faces three indictments — bribery, fraud and breach of trust — tied to alleged quid-pro-quos with media executives and the receipt of lavish gifts. These cases are ongoing. A return to peacetime politics would strip away the emergency halo that insulates him. War sustains it.
Meanwhile, his coalition partners press ever harder. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has rolled out a “victory plan” calling for a tight siege of Gaza City, rapid defeat of Hamas, and an emigration track for Gazans, with long-term Israeli control. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir insists Israel must “conquer all of Gaza and encourage emigration” while reopening Jewish settlement there. Netanyahu has entertained versions of this agenda himself, with reports of discreet approaches to third countries to accept displaced Gazans.
A Growing but Fragile Cabinet
Likud’s polling has risen modestly since the brief Israel–Iran clash, but Netanyahu’s bloc still struggles to assemble a majority. His reliance on Smotrich and Ben-Gvir binds him to their maximalist rhetoric. Ultra-Orthodox partners have peeled away on conscription disputes, leaving the coalition structurally weaker even as Netanyahu personally projects resilience.
The Fallacy of the “Strongman”
Internationally, Netanyahu drew rare bipartisan praise after Israel’s strike on Iran. Even opposition leader Yair Lapid set aside differences to endorse the operation. At home, the mood is more complex: Israelis simultaneously endorse maximalist options and grow weary of endless conflict.
A Government That Cannot Outlast Its War
The contradiction is stark:
- Peace means collapse for Netanyahu’s war-bound government.
- Endless war threatens cohesion as trust in leadership erodes.
Netanyahu’s legal jeopardy waits in the wings. When the fighting ends, the courtroom resumes. Until then, his premiership survives on borrowed time, sustained by a public that overwhelmingly endorses policies once considered unthinkable.
