Political Reversal
Following the Hamas-led attack on Israel last October, which was the deadliest in Israeli history, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future seemed bleak. Critics held him responsible for the security failure, leading to a significant drop in his poll ratings.
Week of Transformation
However, a recent confrontation between Israel and Iran has potentially altered the course of events for Netanyahu. The latest developments, including Israel’s retaliation against Iran last weekend’s missile barrage, have shifted the political landscape.
Domestic and Global Dynamics
Despite his far-right coalition still trailing in the polls, Netanyahu’s domestic position has strengthened. His approval ratings have shown a slight increase, and the gap with the main opposition bloc has significantly reduced. The global perception, however, remains critical due to the handling of the war in Gaza.
“This was his best week since October,” said Mazal Mualem, a biographer of Mr. Netanyahu. “We’re all afraid of Iran, with all the nuclear forces that they may have. And that’s the reason that, this week, we can see Bibi recovering,” Ms. Mualem said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.
Analysts attribute this limited recovery to the escalated conflict with Iran, which has diverted some domestic attention from Netanyahu’s perceived shortcomings in the Gaza war and played to his strengths.
