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EXPERT COMMENT

The Israeli political system is on semi-hold, but a prime minister responsible for unprecedented division cannot lead Israel beyond the war.

Before the war in Gaza, profound differences split Israel’s political system, demonstrated throughout the year by regular widespread protests against the government and a toxic social-political scene. However, following the shock and trauma of Hamas’s 7 October attacks, all division has been put on hold.

Some sort of unity has become a necessity, but it has also been an appropriate response while the country has buried more than 1,400 of its civilians and soldiers, killed on that ‘black sabbath’ and in the ensuing war.

If any nationwide political consensus now exists, it is that by the time the war is over, the premiership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should end.

There is a very powerful argument that he should have been ousted immediately after his government’s colossal failure to prevent the Hamas attack. Besides an immeasurable cost in terms of lives lost, the attacks damaged the country’s deterrence and its complex relations with other countries in the region. It has also caused a profound trauma to Israeli society, delivered a huge hit to the economy, and undermined faith in the security services.

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.