'Israelis are furious': Netanyahu's Bugs Bunny cross-examination and the prospect of new elections

Jun 6, 2025

Dahlia Scheindlin, a Haaretz columnist and public opinion expert specializing in Israeli politics, discusses the striking disconnect between the ongoing trial of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the urgent concerns of the Israeli public amidst the Gaza conflict. She highlights widespread frustration over Netanyahu's situation and the trivialization of serious issues, exemplified by courtroom antics. Additionally, Scheindlin addresses the brewing political crisis as ultra-Orthodox tensions could lead to new elections, reflecting the precarious balance of Israeli governance.

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INSIGHT

Public Resignation to Netanyahu's Trial

Israeli public shows resignation to Netanyahu's trial amid the worst war in Israel's history.
Majority find the situation frustrating but feel powerless to affect change.

INSIGHT

War Overshadows Corruption Trial

The war and hostage crisis overshadow Netanyahu's trial regardless of public opinion on his guilt.
Most Israelis would prioritize ending the war even if that means pardoning Netanyahu.

INSIGHT

Trial Details Perceived as Trivial

Trial details like disputes over a Bugs Bunny doll trivialize the proceedings publicly.
Complex legal arguments don't shift public perception much regarding Netanyahu's guilt or innocence.

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As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began facing cross-examination by prosecutors in his criminal trial, the majority of Israelis are much more focused on “life-and-death” issues as the Gaza war wears on, Haaretz columnist and public opinion expert Dahlia Scheindlin said on the Haaretz Podcast.

The subdued level of public interest “highlights how Israelis have become resigned to the extraordinary situation of their prime minister being on trial for corruption during the longest war and the most devastating war Israel has ever had,” Scheindlin said.

While polls show a majority of Israelis frustrated and “furious” over that situation, “they feel helpless to do anything about it,” Scheindlin added.

Deeply upset about the continuing hostage crisis and IDF casualties, and with reservists and their families exhausted, the Israeli public has little patience for courtroom banter regarding issues like the size of a Bugs Bunny doll that a Hollywood tycoon gave to the Netanyahu children in the 1990s which, Scheindlin said, “trivializes the proceedings.”

In her conversation with host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Scheindlin also analyzes the brewing political crisis in Israel as the ultra-Orthodox party Degel HaTorah threatens to bring down the government over its failure to pass a law exempting Haredi men from military service and assesses the odds as to whether the country will soon be heading into new elections.

“When governments fall in Israel, they usually fall over religion and state issues,” she said.

Subscribe to Haaretz.com for up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Israel in English.

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