Does the Hamas attack threaten Netanyahu's hold on power?

Israel's controversial prime minister presented himself as the the country's protector. Critics say he failed.

Netanyahu.
The attacks by Hamas could be the 'beginning of the end' for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
(Image credit: Illustrated / Getty Images)

Terror attacks often produce a "rally around the flag" effect: Think of George W. Bush’s skyrocketing popularity after 9/11. That may not entirely be the case in Israel after the horrific and deadly attack by Hamas over the weekend. "The disaster that befell Israel on the holiday of Simchat Torah is the clear responsibility of one person: Benjamin Netanyahu," the Israeli newspaper Haaretz editorialized this week. Netanyahu is the longest-tenured prime minister in Israeli history. Is he vulnerable now?

Netanyahu has long presented himself as the best option for Israel’s safety in a dangerous region. Now that claim is in question. "Once billed as Mr. Security, Netanyahu and the Israeli government failed to provide the most basic security needs of Israel’s citizens," David A. Halperin argued at The Jerusalem Post. And Netanyahu may take additional blame if Israelis decide that the massive protests spurred by his attempts at "judicial reform" distracted the country from the threats on its borders. This moment arrives "after months of the fiercest political and societal divisions Israel has ever experienced."

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Joel Mathis, The Week US

Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.