Could Israel's Mass Protests Persuade Netanyahu To Accept A Cease-Fire Deal?

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israelis were plunged into condolences and anger this play aft nan subject said six hostages were killed by their captors successful Gaza conscionable arsenic troops were closing successful connected their location. The rage sparked monolithic protests and a general strike — nan astir aggravated home unit connected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since nan commencement of nan warfare astir 11 months ago.

Many Israelis blasted Netanyahu for nan mounting number of dormant hostages and are calling for a cease-fire statement to free nan remaining astir 100 captives — moreover if that intends ending nan conflict. Sunday’s demonstrations were nan largest show of support for a hostage woody since Oct. 7, erstwhile Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel and kidnapped 250 people.

Here’s a look astatine really nan nationalist outcry successful Israel could impact Netanyahu’s adjacent moves successful nan war:

Netanyahu’s position

Thousands of Israelis protestation successful beforehand of nan Defense Ministry successful Tel Aviv against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his authorities for not agreeing to a cease-fire deal, connected Sept. 3, 2024.

Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images

Throughout nan war, critics person claimed Netanyahu has put his governmental endurance supra each else, including nan destiny of nan hostages. His norm relies connected support from 2 ultranationalist parties that were erstwhile astatine nan fringes of Israeli authorities but now clasp cardinal positions successful government.

Headed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, they reason immoderate woody that ends nan warfare aliases sets free Palestinian prisoners convicted of sidesplitting Israelis. They person vowed to topple nan authorities should Netanyahu work together to a cease-fire — a measurement that would trigger elections that could region Netanyahu from office.

“What he cares astir is his governmental survival,” said Reuven Hazan, a governmental intelligence astatine Jerusalem’s Hebrew University. “His governmental endurance pinch Ben-Gvir and Smotrich doesn’t let him to extremity nan warfare and bring backmost nan hostages.”

Netanyahu blames Hamas for nan deficiency of a deal.

Looming complete nan premier curate is besides his ongoing proceedings connected corruption charges. If Netanyahu is voted retired of power, he will suffer his level to obstruction against nan judicial system, which he accuses of being biased. He besides wouldn’t beryllium capable to move up pinch his government’s planned changes to nan ineligible strategy that critics opportunity could impact nan proceedings and thief him debar a conviction.

Netanyahu says he has nan country’s champion interests successful mind and insists that nan subject cognition successful Gaza is nan champion measurement to bring astir nan hostages’ freedom. He besides wants immoderate woody to support Israeli troops successful two strips of onshore successful Gaza, and reaffirmed his insistence that he will ne'er work together to a withdrawal from 1 of those areas connected Monday.

Hamas has rejected those demands arsenic dealbreakers — and nan information has prompted clashes pinch Netanyahu’s ain defense minister, who says a woody that frees nan hostages should beryllium a priority.

As nan toll of nan warfare successful Gaza has mounted — pinch tens of thousands killed and full swaths of nan territory decimated — Israel has go progressively isolated internationally. On Monday, erstwhile asked if Netanyahu was doing capable to discuss a deal, U.S. President Joe Biden responded, “No.”

Biden, who has ne'er seen oculus to oculus pinch nan Israeli leader moreover though their nations are adjacent allies, has grown progressively captious of his counterpart’s leadership. But nan timing connected Monday’s remark was peculiarly pointed, coming arsenic it did aft nan demonstrations and outpouring of condolences for nan hostages.

The largest show of support for a hostage deal

Israelis demanding a hostage switch woody pinch Palestinians stitchery to protestation against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his authorities for not agreeing to a cease-fire woody successful Tel Aviv, Israel connected Sept. 3, 2024.

Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images

Many Israelis impeach Netanyahu of obstructing a woody to enactment successful powerfulness and opportunity that by not ending nan war, he is putting nan lives of nan hostages successful danger.

“Hamas was nan 1 that pulled nan trigger, but Netanyahu is nan 1 who sentenced (the hostages) to death,” said an editorial Sunday successful nan wide regular Haaretz.

Israel has seen play protests successful solidarity pinch nan hostages since nan commencement of nan war. But complete time, arsenic Israelis person tried to return to a semblance of normalcy aliases person been preoccupied by fears of a location war pinch Iran aliases nan militant group Hezbollah, nan protests person dwindled successful size. That has eased unit connected Netanyahu and talks toward a woody person many times fizzled.

But connected Sunday, hundreds of thousands of group poured into cardinal Tel Aviv, banging drums and chanting “Deal, now!” About 100 hostages stay successful captivity successful Gaza, astir a 3rd of them said to beryllium dead. Israel and Hamas person been mulling a three-phased connection that would group them free and extremity nan war.

It was nan largest objection Israel has seen astatine slightest since earlier nan war, erstwhile Israelis took nan streets play to protestation a scheme by Netanyahu to overhaul nan judiciary. While nan protests coupled pinch a wide onslaught prompted Netanyahu and his authorities to locomotion backmost aliases soften immoderate decisions, nan overhaul was only put connected clasp erstwhile nan warfare collapsed out.

The limits of nationalist pressure

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news convention successful Jerusalem, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024.

Ohad Zwigenberg via Associated Press

The existent nationalist outcry has its limits. Sunday’s protestation grounded to break longstanding governmental boundaries and appeared to beryllium mostly made up of nan aforesaid liberal, secular Israelis who protested nan overhaul and against Netanyahu’s activity while connected proceedings for alleged corruption. Many of Netanyahu’s supporters opportunity relenting connected immoderate position successful talks now aft nan deaths of nan six hostages would awesome to Hamas that it tin reap rewards from specified violence.

Similarly, Monday’s onslaught reflected those aforesaid governmental divisions. Liberal municipalities successful cardinal Israel, including Tel Aviv, joined nan strike, starring to nationalist daycares and kindergartens closing arsenic good arsenic different services. But different cities, mostly pinch blimpish and belief populations that thin to support Netanyahu, including Jerusalem, did not subordinate nan strike. And a labour tribunal trim nan onslaught short by respective hours, hobbling its efficacy.

Without ample sustained protests crossed a broader swath of society, it’s difficult to spot really Netanyahu will consciousness capable unit to alteration his approach, said Hazan, nan governmental scientist. And truthful agelong arsenic his authorities is stable, he whitethorn instrumentality to his demands successful nan negotiations to appease his conjugation and disregard nan protests entirely.

Still, relatives of nan hostages recovered killed successful Gaza expressed dream that nan protests marked a turning constituent successful nan warfare that mightiness unit advancement connected a deal.

In a eulogy for Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American who became 1 of nan astir high-profile captives, his begetter said of nan affectional resonance nan deaths mightiness have.

“For 330 days, mama and I sought nan proverbial chromatic that we could move complete to prevention you,” Jon Polin said. “Maybe, conscionable maybe, your decease is nan stone, nan fuel, that will bring location nan remaining” hostages.

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Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed from Washington.

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Israel gazaBenjamin NetanyahuHamas