Netanyahu's survival tactics tested amid Israel Shin Bet head's accusations
The latest fight is with Ronen Bar, the head of Israel's domestic intelligence agency, the Shin Bet.
Netanyahu fired Bar last month due to what he called a breakdown in trust, but the Supreme Court has suspended the dismissal, pending an investigation.
In the meantime, there have been protests against Netanyahu – the prime minister is used to those – and now an affidavit filed by Bar on Monday, in which he lobs several accusations against the Israeli leader.
They include demands from Netanyahu that Bar place his loyalty to him above that of the Supreme Court's rulings if the two ever clash and that he spy on Netanyahu's opponents. It all comes as the Shin Bet investigates financial ties between Netanyahu's office and Qatar.
Netanyahu has denied Bar's claims, calling his affidavit a 'false' one that would be 'disproved in detail soon'.
The response follows the Netanyahu playbook when facing opposition – a denial of any accusations made against him, a shifting of the blame and pushing a problem to the future if possible.
The legal cases Netanyahu faces – he is on trial for corruption – are a case in point. The prime minister has been able to drag the court process out for years and most recently has used Israel's war on Gaza to delay his court appearances.
'There is scandal fatigue in the Israeli public,' Israeli political analyst Nimrod Flaschenberg told Al Jazeera.
Flaschenberg added that Israeli society's increased polarisation means another scandal will hardly shift where people stand on the divisive Netanyahu.
'People who are against Netanyahu and against the government see this as another evidence of the corruption, the deterioration of democratic space and the end of Israeli democracy,' he said. 'And people from the pro-Netanyahu camp see this as Bar trying to generate a coup against Netanyahu and his right-wing government.'
This polarisation has been aided by the fact the Israeli political opposition is fractured. Opposition figure Benny Gantz was once the challenger to the throne but has been criticised for failing to take strong stances on complicated issues, and there is growing support for him to be replaced as the head of the National Unity political alliance.
'Many Israelis think [the current situation is] an emergency but they don't really have the tools to change it, and there's no powerful opposition in the parliament that can do anything about it,' said Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst on Israel with the International Crisis Group.
The war in Gaza itself is a testament to Netanyahu's survival skills. Despite being blamed by many Israelis for failing to prevent the October 7, 2023, attacks against Israel, among the deadliest in the country's history, and unable to free the remaining captives held in Gaza or fully defeat Hamas, Netanyahu remains in power.
That is even as the war grows increasingly unpopular in Israel with 100,000 reservists failing to respond to their call-ups, according to the Israeli-Palestinian +972 Magazine.
And yet Netanyahu is arguably in a stronger position politically than he was at the start of the war, expanding Israeli-occupied territory in Lebanon and Syria, all while seeing the administration of ally President Donald Trump take power in the United States.
Netanyahu's governing coalition may have lost some figures over time, including former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, but it has become more solidified by shifting further to the right.
'His coalition is very much solid and intact,' Zonszein said. 'Throughout the last year and a half, he's only stabilised his coalition further.'
Netanyahu has increasingly leaned on the ultra-Orthodox and far-right parties like those led by two of the most far-right ministers in his government – Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. While analysts said a shift rightwards has upset many Israelis, there seems to be little chance of change at the moment.
'It would take a very radical step to actually remove Netanyahu from power,' Zonszein said.
'It's like a grinding, deteriorating situation in which more allegations and evidence come to light,' Zonszein said, speaking of the scandals Netanyahu has faced. 'But it doesn't mean it's going to change anything on the ground.'
A sort of lethargy may have started to set in in some quarters of Israeli society as Netanyahu holds onto power.
His coalition has enough seats in parliament to continue, and its members have their own reasons for wanting to avoid it breaking up.
That means the only way Netanyahu is likely to be removed from power is through elections – the next of which does not need to happen until October 27, 2026.
In theory, the attorney general could determine Netanyahu is unfit to serve, but analysts said that would prove contentious and unlikely to happen. Failing that, the only way Netanyahu might be removed from power would be through elections.
A poll this month from Israel's Channel 12 showed that the right-wing former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's new party would win a majority if elections were held today. But that alone is not enough to calm the worries of some people in Israel.
'Some Israelis are concerned that there won't be a free and fair election next year,' Zonszein said.
Flaschenberg said he feared the police could be used by Netanyahu and his allies to suppress voting.
There are, however, some possible moves for the Israeli public to play. Flaschenberg said public strikes have been effective in the past. In mid-2023, a public strike prevented Netanyahu from firing Gallant although another attempt at a strike in late 2024 failed because of a lack of clear demands.
And the furore over the attempted firing of Bar is unlikely to change things. For the pressure to manifest into something tangible against Netanyahu, a number of factors would have to come to fruition.
'If this legal security situation with Ronen Bar and with the Shin Bet will intensify and at the same time the refusal wave that we are seeing or the wave of protests of people from the army against the war, this might shake things up and maybe change course,' Flaschenberg said.
'So I'm not entirely hopeless about what could develop in the next few months,' he said, before adding: '[But] I'm relatively hopeless.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Qatar Tribune
6 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Brazil's economy ready to ride out Donald Trump's 50% tariff
Agencies Brazilian goods imported by the United States will soon carry one of the highest tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, but that will not likely derail Latin America's largest economy, due to ample exemptions and stronger trade ties with China. The lower stakes for the Brazilian economy give President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva more room to stand his ground against Trump than most Western leaders, after calling him an unwanted global 'emperor' and comparing his tariff threats to blackmail. Lula has said he is open to negotiating a trade deal, but dismissed Trump's complaints about the trial of right-wing ally Jair Bolsonaro as a threat to Brazilian sovereignty and judicial independence. Brazil's Supreme Court is trying the ex-president for allegedly plotting to overturn the 2022 election he lost to Lula. Those tensions, stoked by Bolsonaro's house arrest on Monday, are likely to make negotiations about the 50 percent US tariff on Brazilian goods between Washington and Brasilia thorny and drawn out, even as the fallout for Brazil's economy looks limited. Unlike Mexico and Canada, which sell about three-quarters of their exports to the United States, Americans buy just 12 percent of Brazilian exports. By comparison, Brazil's exports to China have doubled in value over the past decade, now accounting for 28 percent of the country's total exemptions laid out in Trump's executive order last week, including on aircraft, energy, and orange juice, the tariff taking effect on Wednesday will apply to just under 36 percent of Brazilian exports to the US by value, according to estimates in Brasilia. Many of the affected exports are commodities such as beef and coffee, which should find alternative markets at modest discounts, according to economists. 'We were already expecting a limited impact, but it dropped further with the exemptions,' said Luiza Pinese, an economist at XP, who halved her forecast for the tariff impact on Brazil's gross domestic product this year to 0.15 percentage points. Goldman Sachs maintained its projection for Brazil's economy to grow 2.3 percent this year in light of the 'notable' exemptions, adding that government support for affected sectors, expected in the coming days, should further soften the economic blow. 'Brazil depends on the United States, that's true, but also on BRICS countries, on Europe, on Mercosur,' Planning Minister Simone Tebet said at a public event last week, referring to major developing nations such as China, India, and Russia and a South American trade bloc. She said almost half of Brazil's agribusiness trade, an engine for Brazil's economy in recent years, is concentrated in Asia, compared to just 10 percent with the United States. 'When it comes to industry, the ratio is four to one - four times more to Asia than to the United States,' she added. Brazil is far less open to trade than most major global economies, limiting fallout from trade disruptions. Exports and imports amounted to 36 percent of its GDP last year, less than half the share in Mexico and nearby Paraguay, and just a quarter of the level in trade-focused Asian economies such as Thailand and Malaysia, according to World Bank data. Much of Brazil's exports are commodities easily redirected to different markets over time, said Thiago Carlos, a PIMCO portfolio manager for emerging markets. In the short term, more domestic food supply may even help to bring down inflation, he added. 'With inflation likely to trend lower, the central bank may find room to begin easing monetary policy sooner than expected,' said Carlos, noting the benchmark rate at the current level of 15 percent keeps monetary policy extremely tight, dragging on growth. Analysts polled by Reuters estimated that even without a US trade deal and before exemptions, Brazil's growth outlook for 2026 would remain virtually unchanged from their consensus of 1.6 percent-1.7 Luis Otavio Leal, chief economist at asset manager G5 Partners, warned of potential knock-on effects if government aid is not well targeted to protect vulnerable sectors and jobs. 'Exemptions applied to nearly 700 products - and Brazil exports about 4,000 different goods to the US,' said Leal. 'A large number of firms that sell to the US were not covered.' Brazil's central bank said on Monday that US levies on Brazilian goods could have 'significant' effects on specific sectors, but broader macroeconomic effects are uncertain and will depend on negotiations and market risk perceptions. Flavio Ataliba, a researcher at Brazilian university FGV, noted that the vast country's regional variety will result in uneven impacts. The Northeast region, in particular, could be hit harder due to its export base of low-value-added, labor-intensive goods such as fresh fruit, seafood, textiles, and footwear - all now subject to the full 50 percent tariff, he added.
Al Jazeera
11 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Israel pushes for more illegal settlements in occupied West Bank amid raids
Israeli authorities are moving forward with plans to dramatically expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, despite growing international condemnation and warnings that the move would destroy already moribund prospects for a two-state solution. The Israeli government has set Wednesday as the date to discuss building thousands of new housing units in the E1 area, east of occupied East Jerusalem. The proposed expansion would link the large and illegal Ma'ale Adumim settlement with Jerusalem, effectively bisecting the West Bank and isolating Palestinian communities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government also appears on the cusp of announcing its intention to occupy all of Gaza as its genocidal war on the besieged enclave rages on. The E1 plan in the West Bank has long been criticised by the international community, including the European Union and successive United States administrations. In 2022, Israel postponed the plan following US pressure, but in recent months, the government approved road-widening projects in the area and began restricting Palestinian access – a move rights groups say indicates a renewed push to entrench control. Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are illegal under international law. The International Court of Justice, the top United Nations tribunal, reaffirmed that position last year, saying that Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end 'as rapidly as possible'. On Monday, Germany reiterated its strong opposition to the E1 project. 'We, as the federal government, strongly reject the E1 settlement project,' Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kathrin Deschauer said. 'What we are concerned about is that a two-state solution is possible in the long term.' The plan would see nearly 1,214 hectares (3,000 acres) of Palestinian land stolen to build more than 4,000 settlement units, as well as hotels and roads connecting Ma'ale Adumim to West Jerusalem. Palestinians say the project is part of broader efforts to 'Judaise' East Jerusalem and entrench Israeli control over occupied territories in violation of international law. Palestinian leaders seek the entirety of the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip, and as a capital, East Jerusalem – areas Israel captured in the 1967 war – for their future state. Currently, more than 500,000 settlers are living in the West Bank, and some 220,000 others in East Jerusalem. Al Jazeera's Nida Ibrahim said the plan has been in the works since 'the early 90s'. 'The plan has been described by US officials … as devastating and a disastrous plan,' Ibrahim said, as it threatens 'the unity' of a potential Palestinian state. According to Ibrahim, the Israeli objective is to ensure there is 'no Palestinian state on the ground' by the time Western and European countries recognise Palestine as a state. Israel would be 'cutting the West Bank into so many different sections, fragmenting them, creating what Palestinians have been calling as cantons,' she said, predicting that his would push Palestinians into 'very small, caged communities'. Widening crackdown in the West Bank The move comes amid a broader Israeli crackdown in the occupied West Bank. At least 30 Palestinians were arrested overnight across multiple cities including Hebron, Nablus, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and Tulkarem, according to the Palestinian Authority's Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs. Among those detained were two women, a female journalist, and several former prisoners. The commission said more than 18,500 Palestinians have been arrested in the West Bank since Israel began its genocidal assault on Gaza in October 2023. In Bethlehem, residents of Beit Iskaria village received forced displacement notices this week as Israeli forces moved to seize more land for settlement expansion in the Gush Etzion bloc. According to village council head Muhammad Atallah, soldiers ordered him and his family to vacate grapevine-covered farmland within 10 days. Separately, Israeli forces carried out demolitions in the agricultural suburb near Jalazone refugee camp north of Ramallah, with reports that soldiers were accompanied by settlers. In Dar Salah, east of Bethlehem, a building under construction was demolished by Israeli military vehicles. According to rights groups, July alone saw 75 demolitions in the West Bank targeting 122 structures, including 60 homes and dozens of agricultural and livelihood facilities. Along with arrests and demolitions, Palestinians have also seen a rise in settler attacks in recent months. Armed settlers, often backed by Israeli soldiers, have rampaged through Palestinian villages, torched crops, vandalised homes, and assaulted residents with impunity, resulting in several Palestinian deaths. Rights groups and United Nations officials have warned that settler violence has reached record levels, part of what they describe as a coordinated campaign to forcibly displace Palestinians from key areas of the West Bank. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities issued a six-month ban on Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, the grand mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territory, from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque. According to the Wafa news agency, the Jerusalem governorate, quoting lawyer Khaldoun Najm, said the ban on Hussein follows the expiration of his eight-day ban. This most recent ban was imposed after his Friday sermon, where he condemned Israel's starvation policy against Palestinians in Gaza. Last week, Hussein was handed an initial eight-day expulsion order from the mosque.
Al Jazeera
20 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Hiroshima marks 80 years since atomic bombing
Thousands of people have gathered in Hiroshima to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the world's first wartime use of a nuclear bomb – as survivors, officials and representatives from 120 countries and territories marked the milestone with renewed calls for disarmament. The western Japanese city was flattened on August 6, 1945, when the United States dropped a uranium bomb, codenamed Little Boy. Roughly 78,000 people were killed instantly. Tens of thousands more would die by the end of the year due to burns and radiation exposure. The attack on Hiroshima, followed three days later by a plutonium bomb dropped on Nagasaki, led to Japan's surrender on August 15 and the end of the second world war. Hiroshima had been chosen as a target partly because its surrounding mountains were believed by US planners to amplify the bomb's force. At Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park on Wednesday, where the bomb detonated almost directly overhead eight decades ago, delegates from a record number of international countries and regions attended the annual memorial. Reporting from the park, Al Jazeera's Fadi Salameh said the ceremony unfolded in a similar sequence to those of previous years. 'The ceremony procedure is almost the same throughout the years I've been covering it,' Salameh said. 'It starts at eight o'clock with the children and people offering flowers and then water to represent helping the victims who survived the atomic bombing at that time. 'Then at exactly 8:15… a moment of silence. After that, the mayor of Hiroshima reads out the declaration of peace in which they call for the abolition of nuclear weapons around the world,' he added. Schoolchildren from across Japan participated in the 'Promise of Peace' – reading statements of hope and remembrance. This year's ceremony also included a message from the representative of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, urging global peace. Hiroshima's mayor, Kazumi Matsui, warned of the dangers of rising global militarism, criticising world leaders who argue that nuclear weapons are necessary for national security. 'Among the world's political leaders, there is a growing belief that possessing nuclear weapons is unavoidable in order to protect their own countries,' he said, noting that the United States and Russia still hold 90 percent of the world's nuclear warheads. 'This situation not only nullifies the lessons the international community has learned from the tragic history of the past, but also seriously undermines the frameworks that have been built for peace-building,' he said. 'To all the leaders around the world: please visit Hiroshima and witness for yourselves the reality of the atomic bombing.' Many attendees echoed that call. 'It feels more and more like history is repeating itself,' 71-year-old Yoshikazu Horie told the Reuters news agency. 'Terrible things are happening in Europe … Even in Japan, in Asia, it's going the same way – it's very scary. I've got grandchildren and I want peace so they can live their lives happily.' Survivors of the bombings – known as hibakusha – once faced discrimination over unfounded fears of disease and genetic effects. Their numbers have fallen below 100,000 for the first time this year. Japan maintains a stated commitment to nuclear disarmament, but remains outside the UN treaty banning nuclear weapons.
