Architect of war or political liability? Netanyahu faces growing threat of defeat
Key takeaways
- For years, Netanyahu built his political brand around security, portraying himself as the only leader capable of confronting threats from Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah.
- The Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023, which killed roughly 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in hundreds being taken hostage, represented the deadliest security failure in Israeli history.
- Critics across Israel’s political spectrum continue to argue that Netanyahu bears significant responsibility for the intelligence and security failures that preceded the attack.
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Add ARY News on Google AAResize After years of dominating Israeli politics, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enters what may be the most precarious period of his career, confronting corruption trials, international legal scrutiny, war-related criticism and deteriorating poll numbers ahead of expected 2026 elections.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader and one of the most influential figures in the country’s modern history, is facing mounting political and legal challenges that analysts say could threaten his hold on power ahead of the country’s next expected general election in 2026.
For years, Netanyahu built his political brand around security, portraying himself as the only leader capable of confronting threats from Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah. But nearly three years after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack that triggered the Gaza war, many Israelis remain deeply divided over his leadership and handling of the country’s most significant security crisis in decades.