Israeli Public Sentiment Amidst War

Suzi speaks to Yoav Peled of Tel Aviv University about the accelerating crisis in Israel and Gaza. Though there is a “humanitarian pause” in Israel’s war, the relentless and devastating destruction of Gaza grinds on with staggering human costs. Gazans are starving and the world is taking notice.

Netanyahu faces growing international condemnation and internal anger. Along with Israeli spokesmen and far right cabinet members, he denies there is starvation, or blames it on Hamas. Polls now show that most Israelis want the war to end and the hostages returned even if Hamas remains in power. Weekly public protests are growing, but haven’t yet matched the pre-war anti-Netanyahu demonstrations.

We explore the broader political implications of the war: the disarray of the opposition, the growing authoritarianism of the state, public awareness and public opinion, and the push to disqualify Arab parties from the slated October elections which Yoav thinks could come earlier.

Can Netanyahu stay in power? Peled says Bibi has worked hard to remove any potential threat or successor, so “there's no government, there's no Israel, there's only Bibi.”

Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.