With Gaza at war, is it time for Benjamin Netanyahu to stand down as Israel Prime Minister?

It is concerning that Australia along with most of the Five-Eyes has labelled the whole of Hamas a terrorist organisation on the basis that the Hamas leadership endorses the terrorist activities of Hamas's largely independent military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. The Hamas leadership has probably had little choice but to do so in order to maintain broad Palestinian support for the Hamas political and social organisation that has governed Gaza since 2006.

While it is often claimed that Hamas's aim is to destroy Israel, it has in recent years adopted a more moderate position. In 2017, Hamas released a new charter that supported a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders - without recognising Israel. Hamas's repeated offers of a truce (for a period of 10-100 years based on the 1967 borders) have been seen by many as consistent with the two-state solution advocated by Australia.

In any case, if Israel eliminates the Hamas political leadership, who will Israel talk to in order to get the surviving hostages returned, or to achieve any sort of political resolution in Gaza?

Turning back to Netanyahu - he remains a controversial and divisive politician whose periods as Prime Minister have regularly stirred debate and criticism in Israel. (He was Prime Minister from 1996 to 1999, and 2009 to 2021, and then returned as PM again in December 2022.)

One of the most significant criticisms of Netanyahu revolves around his alleged erosion of democratic values in Israel. Critics argue that he has undermined the country's democratic institutions and principles for his own political gain.

His tenure in office has been marked by attacks on the judiciary, the media, and other institutions that serve as pillars of a healthy democracy. His continuous efforts to limit the power and independence of these bodies have raised domestic and international concerns about the state of democracy in Israel.

Netanyahu has also been plagued by a series of corruption scandals that have not only damaged his reputation, but also raised questions about his fitness for public office. He has been charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in multiple cases. These charges have significantly distracted from critical national issues and undermined public trust in his leadership. If he was not being protected by the US, war crimes would now probably be added to the list.

Furthermore, Netanyahu's divisive rhetoric and political opportunism have deepened divisions within Israeli society. His use of inflammatory language and tactics has created a toxic political climate, making it increasingly difficult for different groups and factions to find common ground to work together for the betterment of Israel. This polarisation has hindered progress on various policy issues and led to a lack of political unity.

Netanyahu's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian issue has long been a source of criticism. His support for ultra-orthodox settlers and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank have been a major obstacle to peace negotiations. The international community widely considers these settlements to be in violation of international law and detrimental to any prospects for a two-state solution.

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While Israel's concerns about Iran's nuclear program may be valid, Netanyahu's address to the US Congress in 2015 undermined the Obama administration's diplomatic efforts to work towards a more stable regional environment. Netanyahu's critics argue that his provocative tactics have hindered the pursuit of a more nuanced approach to dealing with Iran.

Domestically, Netanyahu's leadership has been marked by a lack of focus on economic issues, which has hindered Israel's long-term economic growth. His concentration on security matters and reluctance to implement necessary economic reforms have left many Israelis feeling that their economic prospects have deteriorated under his leadership.

Israel continues to face significant socio-economic disparities, with a high cost of living and housing affordability issues. Critics argue that Netanyahu's policies have failed to adequately address these inequalities, leaving many Israelis struggling to make ends meet. His tenure has seen the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few, exacerbating social disparities.

Education and healthcare have also suffered under Netanyahu's leadership. Public education has suffered from budget cuts and inadequate investment, while the healthcare system faces challenges related to access and quality.

Netanyahu will clearly be reluctant to step down. The current conflict has given him a political lifeline to reinvent himself as the strong war-time leader that Israelis can depend upon to destroy Hamas - despite the fact that it was his security policies that created the vulnerabilities that were exploited by Izz ad-Din al-Qassam terrorists on October 7. Netanyahu will no doubt be hoping that he can distance himself from being held responsible for the unprecedented political, intelligence, and operational failures that occurred on his watch.

Australia should be encouraging the US to apply more pressure for a change of political leadership in Israel. It would be in the best long-term interests of all parties to the current conflict.