Netanyahu's Crowd Problem: Even His Base Is Over It
Al Jazeera reports that a crowd in Tel Aviv booed the mention of Benjamin Netanyahu during a speech by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff. A telling moment, perhaps, but one might ask: what took them so long? This isn't the first time an Israeli leader has faced public disapproval for policies leading to widespread death and destruction. From the 2014 Gaza war, which saw over 2,200 Palestinians killed (UN
OCHA), to the current mass displacement and famine, Netanyahu has consistently pursued aggressive military strategies, cheered on by a chorus of US politicians who rarely face similar protests for their unwavering support. These protests, while finally acknowledging Netanyahu's leadership failures, conveniently emerge after tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, 60% of Gaza's homes
destroyed, and an entire population pushed to the brink of starvation, according to UN reports. The media frames it as an 'internal political struggle' rather than a long-overdue reckoning with policies that have systematically dispossessed and brutalized Palestinians for decades. How many 'last warnings' does a government get before its actions are called for what they are?