Netanyahu faces internal and external challenges (Reuters)

With the issuance of the UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during the month of Ramadan, the noose is tightening on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing a number of internal political crises that have begun to escalate coinciding with his unprecedented crisis with the administration of US President Joe Biden.

Although the United States has formed a safety net to protect Israel in international institutions, most notably the Security Council, as the various American administrations used the veto power 42 times in favor of Israel, including 15 times to protect it from condemnation, Washington refrained yesterday, Monday, from using its veto power against a resolution in The Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during the month of Ramadan, marking an exceptional stance that an American administration had never taken before while Israel was in a state of war.

Suspension of disputes

The war launched by Israel on the Gaza Strip, in the wake of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, on the seventh of last October, carried out by the Palestinian resistance, represented an opportunity to suspend the differences - albeit temporarily - between the administration of President Joe Biden and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, as the relationship between the two sides witnessed levels of Advanced escalation.

Nearly 6 months after the outbreak of the war, the crisis returned to escalation in light of the discrepancy regarding the management of the war and how each party used it in its internal equation.

Israeli occupation Prime Minister Netanyahu's desire to continue the war without stopping clashes with the Biden administration's interest in temporary truces that will allow it to improve its image in the presidential elections at the end of this year.

The Biden administration is witnessing widespread criticism within the ranks of the Democratic Party and among various sectors of American society because of its position in support of the war of extermination carried out by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

Political recruitment

Although the two sides agree on the main war goals, Netanyahu fears that the Biden administration will employ a temporary ceasefire for several weeks in order to double its pressure on him and bring about political change.

The Biden administration used its opposition to the invasion of Rafah without a clear plan to evacuate civilians as a major pressure card on Netanyahu, who rejects the American opposition and has been threatening for weeks to invade Rafah, regardless of the American position.

In this context, the United States refrained from using its veto against the immediate ceasefire decision, and caused reactions in Israeli circles that held Netanyahu and his government responsible for what they described as the unprecedented deterioration in the relationship with the American administration.

The Biden administration took an exceptional stance that an American administration had never taken before while Israel was in a state of war (French)

Pressure on Netanyahu

Knesset member Shelly Tal Meron commented, saying, “Netanyahu’s political failure puts Israel in front of a real existential threat and makes it isolated globally,” adding that “a collision course with the White House will bring disaster for Israel.”

In the same context, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak said that the Security Council resolution reflects a deep crisis with Washington and difficult decisions are required. Barak explained these difficult decisions by the necessity of holding elections immediately, and said that this early action “is what will get Israel out of its deep crisis.”

Former Foreign Minister Tzipi Levy also supported Barak's statements by saying, "A rift with Washington is the best Hamas can get, and Netanyahu is leading us to that."

Sa'ar's resignation

Netanyahu is also facing a number of internal political crises that have begun to escalate coinciding with his unprecedented crisis with the Biden administration.

Yesterday, Monday, the head of the Israeli National Right Party, Gideon Sa'ar, announced his resignation from the emergency government, after Netanyahu was unable to include him in the war council, as demanded by Sa'ar, who recently resigned from the "State Camp" party, headed by war council member Benny Gantz.

The resigned minister considered - in his resignation statement - that he would not be able to bear responsibility as long as he did not have any influence, and he said, “We did not come to the government to warm the seats,” and added, “I warned that slowing down the military advance in the Gaza Strip means prolonging the war, and this is against Israel’s interest.” .

Israeli politicians and analysts saw that Sa'ar's resignation constitutes a painful blow to Netanyahu and greatly destabilizes his government. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid considered it "the first step towards dissolving the government, which must bear its responsibility and return the mandate to the people, for the sake of the kidnapped ones, and for the security of Israel."

Officials in the Likud Party said that Sa'ar had rejected compromise solutions, in light of the difficulty of including him in the war council in light of the opposition of the extremist ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who demanded joining the war council if Sa'ar was included.

Conscription law

Sa'ar's resignation comes amid the conscription law crisis, which is no less dangerous for Netanyahu's government, as Israeli war council member Benny Gantz threatens to resign from the government if the Knesset approves legislation that maintains the exemption of religious Jews from compulsory military service.

Despite Netanyahu's attempts to pass the law by making fundamental changes to the proposal to withdraw the clause extending the Haredi exemption limit to the age of 35, the positions of the political parties that reject the law in the form presented by Netanyahu have remained unchanged.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who began an official visit to the United States, also confirmed that the draft law is scheduled to be presented to the Council of Ministers on Tuesday and said that he will not support it, which will increase the pressure on Netanyahu. The rift in positions within the coalition and within Likud will represent a shift that may affect the cohesion of his government.

Amidst these crises that do not seem separate from one another, the issuance of the Security Council’s decision to refrain the United States from using its veto power puts Netanyahu in front of internal and external challenges, as described by the Hebrew Channel 12 correspondent, Muhammad Majadla: “This evening, two blows - external and internal - to Netanyahu: a decision The Security Council, escalating tensions with Biden, and Gideon Sa’ar’s withdrawal from Netanyahu’s government.”

The course of the war

At the same time, the Biden administration is keeping the dispute with Netanyahu away from the impact of his measures against him on the course of the war in Gaza and its support for the continuation of the fighting until the declared war goals are achieved.

The Biden administration linked the immediate ceasefire to the month of Ramadan, meaning that it gave it a time limit, and also introduced something into the wording of the resolution that prevents it from being considered a permanent ceasefire.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said: “Today we abstained from voting in the UN Security Council. Our vote does not indicate a change in policy. We have always said that we are in favor of a ceasefire along with the release of prisoners. We did not support the resolution, because it did not include a condemnation.” agitation".

The Biden administration’s central message from the resolution is to send a strongly worded message to Netanyahu and provide a platform for internal and international political pressure on him. The Netanyahu government’s failure to adhere to the resolution will constitute a pretext for more international pressure on it to stop the war.

It appeared from Netanyahu's office's response to the resolution that it would not abide by it, as he said that "the United States' retreat in the Security Council harms the Israeli war effort and efforts to recover the kidnapped people."

In an initial reaction to the American position, Netanyahu decided to cancel the departure of an Israeli delegation to hold discussions on the Rafah process in the United States, as Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi were supposed to arrive in Washington at the request of President Joe Biden last week. .

The delegation was scheduled to listen to American proposals to expand humanitarian aid in Gaza and alternatives to a major Israeli military operation in Rafah.

With the crisis between the two sides reaching this unprecedented level, the possibilities for the crisis to escalate remain open to the possibility of further measures that the Biden administration may take to put pressure on Netanyahu, who is facing a complex crisis, amid his leadership of a war in which many doubt his ability to achieve its declared goals and be satisfied with a record of war crimes and genocide. Collective.

Source: Al Jazeera