Israel has had its fair share of political ups and downs in its modern history. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently fighting for his political future and has come under intense pressure from all sides in the past few weeks, both domestically and internationally.
Netanyahu has faced calls to free a number of hostages held in grim conditions in the Gaza Strip, as part of a fragile negotiated solution for the continued Palestinian occupation of that region.37 hostages, which include three Palestinians, are reportedly held in conditions dubbed as “inhumane and intolerable” by human rights organizations. The negotiations to free the hostages have dragged on for months and Netanyahu has come under scrutiny from both external and domestic forces for not acting fast enough to free the hostages.
Netanyahu has maintained that he is doing all he can to get a successful outcome, however, his efforts have been met with heavy criticism from both ends of the political spectrum. On one side is the far-right in his party, who feel Netanyahu is caving to international pressures and should instead use military force to free the hostages. On the other side are dovish human rights groups, who argue that his efforts to free the hostages are not enough, citing what they deem as deteriorating conditions in the Gaza Strip.
Furthermore, Netanyahu has also been under pressure from both Israel’s Supreme Court and the International Criminal Court. The court ordered Netanyahu to demonstrate an actual progress on the negotiations with Hamas over three weeks, infuriating the conservative offshoot of his party further. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court is investigating Israel’s involvement in the conflict in the Gaza Strip, meaning Netanyahu’s team also has to balance a diplomatic solution with the court’s findings.
Netanyahu’s battle on all fronts is far from over. He will have to contend with mounting political pressure and criticism as he attempts to oversee a successful outcome for the hostage release, domestic political turmoil in Israel and the International Criminal Court’s investigation. Only time will tell if the Prime Minister is able to come out of this crisis unscathed.