Israel: Daniel Haïk says Netanyahou is effective under pressure
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Lesoleil
Israeli political scientist Daniel Haïk believes Benyamin Netanyahou remains particularly effective when he appears weakened or defeated. In an interview about Israel's legislative elections and their diplomatic consequences, he recalls several of the prime minister's earlier victories, reports Lesoleil.
On the eve of Israel's legislative elections on 27 October, political analyst Daniel Haïk believes outgoing Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahou can still reverse an unfavourable trend, drawing on his ability to convince voters when he appears to be in difficulty. He made the comments in an interview published by Lesoleil.
Daniel Haïk, an analyst on Israeli channel i24News, notes that part of the Likud base, Netanyahou's party, could turn away from the prime minister in favour of Gadi Eisenkot. He refers in particular to Sephardic voters who had supported Likud for several decades and who, he says, blame it for failing to acknowledge its responsibility for the 7 October 2023 attacks.
Haïk recalls that Netanyahou won the 1996 election against Shimon Peres, who had been considered the favourite, six months after the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. He believes that since 8 October 2023, the Israeli head of government has understood the failure of his policy of restraint towards Hamas, which he believed had been deterred by the Israeli army.
The interview was published on polling day, after the campaign pitting Netanyahou against Gadi Eisenkot. The electoral debate was also marked by threats of retaliation against Iran.