Has war on Hamas given Netanyahu a political lifeline?
Conflict with Gaza proving a political winner, so far, for the embattled Israeli prime minister; Arab states may take center stage in mediation efforts; Al-Monitor’s unmatched reporting from Gaza.
Netanyahu capitalizes on war
Israel’s war on Hamas has given new life to Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to hold onto power as prime minister.
It wasn’t looking good for Netanyahu before the conflict escalated, with two minority parties having agreed to form a coalition to oust Bibi. But on May 13, Yamina party Chair Naftali Bennett, who had a nearly done deal with Yesh Atid party Chair Yair Lapid, told Lapid the deal was off.
The collapse of the prospect for a so-called "government of change," based on nothing more than a shared desire to defeat Bibi, "is the direct outcome of violent clashes in mixed Jewish-Arab towns this week," writes Mazal Mualem.
