Netanyahu's Balancing Act: Navigating Domestic Pressure and International Diplomacy in Times of Violence
By: Ahmed Seif El-Din
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, is facing
opposing forces as he tries to navigate the nation's recent surge in violence.
On one hand, his coalition government and its far-right partners are pushing
for a harsh crackdown, while international partners such as the US and Arab
nations are urging moderation. This balancing act is made even more challenging
as the current government is the most right-wing in Israeli history.
Netanyahu is under pressure at home to annex the West Bank,
exert more control over Jerusalem, and take strong measures against
Palestinians. On the international front, he needs support from the US and Arab
nations to achieve his foreign policy goals, including forming a regional
alliance against Iran and normalizing ties with Saudi Arabia.
With no moderating forces in the coalition, Netanyahu
himself becomes the closest thing to a balancing influence. He has already made
moves to reign in extreme positions, but the ongoing violence may test his
ability to keep everything under control.
Critics view Netanyahu as weak, giving away too many
high-ranking positions to non-Likud politicians, and unable to steer the
government in the direction he wants. However, biographer Mazal Mualem sees him
as a master of political maneuvering, juggling all the balls in the air
simultaneously.
Netanyahu signed off on agreements that assert the Jewish
people's right to both Israel and the West Bank, and pledged to annex the West
Bank, but he left himself some flexibility with the timing of annexation. He
appointed extreme-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir as Minister in charge of
police and made settler leader Bezalel Smotrich the finance minister and head
of the defense ministry department overseeing construction and demolition in
the West Bank.
