6 March 2024

Since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s already rocky reputation was ruined following his defence failures on 7 October, he has been fighting to improve his legacy and ensure his political survival – trying at all costs to ward off an early election that would oust him from power. 

In recent weeks, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets, calling for Netanyahu to step down and for elections to be held before their official date in November 2026. Only 15% of Israelis want Netanyahu to stay in office after the war on Hamas in Gaza and the vast majority (71%) want early elections. 

“Netanyahu came into the war already with low popularity ratings,” Mairav Zonszein, the International Crisis Group’s senior Israel-Palestine analyst, told The New Arab.

“After October 7, he lost all legitimacy and a lot of Israelis hold him responsible for what happened,” Zonszein said. “People want to see Netanyahu out.”