Contrary to the aphorism, not all is fair in war. In the immediate aftermath of the brutal October 7 attacks by Hamas, Israel had the sympathy of a broad swathe of the international community. The besieged Benjamin Netanyahu government — the ruling alliance was in tatters, and there were widespread protests against laws seen as curtailing an independent judiciary — also got a lease of life as Israelis were united in outrage and grief. Now, nearly six months into Israel’s retaliation, the government is increasingly seen as using that grief as a pretext to act with impunity. Just over the last week, three incidents show why the Netanyahu government is facing more protests at home while being chided by its friends abroad.
While the Netanyahu government has called the attack on aid workers a “grave mistake”, the prime minister also said, “these things happen in war”. Thus far, he has maintained his maximalist position — in the face of 33,000 Palestinian deaths, over a million refugees, an “imminent famine” and calls from Israel’s closest allies for a cessation of hostilities. Over the weekend, thousands of Israelis took to the streets demanding his removal from office for the failure to bring back hostages. Israel must be mindful of the sentiment articulated by Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and echoed by many of its well-wishers: “Countries may be justified in their own minds in responding (to an attack), but… every response must take into account something called international humanitarian law.” With the theatre of conflict expanding and political support at home declining, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Netanyahu government’s actions are also harming Israel’s national interest.
