Israel remains deeply fractured under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership as the Gaza war approaches its two-year mark, with societal divisions widening into irreconcilable chasms between secular liberals, religious nationalists, and hostage advocates. The prime minister maintains his stance of ‘total victory’ over Hamas despite mounting internal dissent and international condemnation of humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
Political and Social Divisions
Netanyahu presides over a nation fragmented by conflicting visions of the war’s purpose and morality. While secular protesters in Tel Aviv hold vigils for Palestinian children killed in Gaza (displaying names and photos), polls show 79% of Jewish Israelis remain untroubled by reports of famine. This disconnect stems partly from government narratives dismissing humanitarian claims as Hamas propaganda and antisemitic lies, with Netanyahu invoking historical persecution tropes to deflect criticism.
Hostage Crisis Dominates Public Sentiment
The fate of ≈20 remaining hostages forms a rare point of consensus, with 78% of Israelis supporting war cessation for their return. Families plead for deals amid Hamas’ release of emaciated hostage videos, yet Netanyahu’s new offensive plans—opposed even by IDF leadership—threaten their safety. Journalist Emmanuelle Elbaz-Phelps notes Israeli media avoids Palestinian suffering to focus on national trauma, creating an information chasm.
Religious Nationalists See ‘Miraculous Opportunity’
Ultranationalists like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir leverage the war to advance messianic agendas. At Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa compound (a flashpoint site), Ben-Gvir prayed for Gaza’s conquest and Palestinian ‘voluntary emigration,’ while settlers like winemaker Aaron Katzoff in the West Bank frame the conflict as biblical prophecy fulfillment. Their coalition influence blocks ceasefire negotiations.
Governing Crisis and Military Dissent
Netanyahu’s unpopular coalition survives only through far-right support, with ministers threatening to collapse the government if hostage deals proceed. IDF Chief of Staff General Eyal Zamir openly opposes new offensives, risking dismissal. Critics like organizer Nava Rosalio accuse Netanyahu of prolonging war for political survival, noting: ‘We are torn from inside.’
Humanitarian and International Fallout
Twenty-three Nobel laureate economists warn Gaza policies risk ‘widespread famine’ and economic catastrophe. Netanyahu counters that starvation claims are antisemitic fabrications, telling allies: ‘The only ones starved are our hostages.’ The BBC analysis documents blocked aid convoys and IDF restrictions exacerbating crisis conditions.
What’s Next
With Netanyahu pledging expanded operations against Hamas tunnels and Ben-Gvir demanding full Gaza annexation, the stage is set for deeper humanitarian disaster and potential regional escalation. Opposition figures like former Knesset Speaker Avrum Burg see no middle ground, describing Israel as ‘fragmented, broken, and torn apart,’ while hostage families race against time as casualties mount.