Editor’s Note: I wrote this piece not as someone living in Israel but as one deeply identified with it, through family, through culture, and through a lifelong sense of responsibility. I know I do not live the conflict as the people in the middle of it do, and I do not pretend to speak for all Israelis or for Jews. I can only offer up this one voice: of affection for the people I know, of horror at what is happening, and of the sense that leaders must be held responsible,wherever lives are at stake. This is such a deeply personal topic, and I expect disagreement. I welcome it. All voices and experiences matter when this is so complex and painful. What I do hope to do is make people think, reflect, and have real conversations with one another, because in the face of injustice, where we have the ability to speak, silence is not acceptable.
Since Benjamin Netanyahu’s return to power in 2022, Israel has faced increasing corruption, violence, and social unrest. As an Israeli with family in Israel, I have witnessed firsthand how Netanyahu’s choices have affected the Israeli people. It is clear that Netanyahu is not acting in the interest of the Israeli people, and his self-serving choices have damaged Israeli society, intensified violence, and harmed both Israelis and Palestinians.
Netanyahu first served as prime minister from 1996-1999, returned in 2009 through right-wing coalitions, and despite corruption scandals as well as, according to the New York Times, criminal charges — including a 2019 indictment for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust — he reclaimed power in 2022. Netanyahu has been able to maintain power by deftly negotiating political alliances, appealing to his base, and utilizing fear of security threats to mobilize support.
Netanyahu has stayed in office by building shaky but effective coalitions, making deals with far-right parties. “The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has assembled a right-wing coalition government… The agreement on a new coalition government appears to set the scene for a period of unstable government, as well as for new difficulties for Israel on the international stage,” according to a 2015 article from The Guardian.
Rather than seeking broad-based unity, Netanyahu has frequently depended on unorganized alliances to secure just enough seats to keep him in power. These coalitions have resulted in increased division within Israel, straining relationships with overseas partners, and fueling internal conflicts between the secular and religious populations.
Even more dangerously, Netanyahu depends on extremist and far-right parties to remain in power. “Netanyahu’s political survival is in the hands of far-right ministers,” according to The Guardian. These ministers have intensified Israeli aggression towards Palestinians, heightening tensions in the West Bank and Gaza. His governments have built settlements, supported violent military responses, and refused to negotiate. This approach has placed Israelis and Palestinians under constant threat of violence, while dimming the prospects for a serious peace process.
Netanyahu’s corruption scandals have further exposed how his leadership often serves his own political survival rather than the best interests of the Israeli people. Since these scandals occurred, instead of stepping aside or focusing on the country’s social and security challenges, Netanyahu has repeatedly used his power to attack the judicial system, weaken checks on his authority, and frame the investigations as a political witch hunt.
An article written in 2023 from Al Jazeera, the largest Arabic news network in the world, gives some perspective on the forces that are shaping Netanyahu’s policies. “Heading the most far-right government in Israel’s history, Netanyahu has been accused of using the legislation to try to circumvent his own legal problems.” Many Israelis see these actions not as an effort to improve the country, but as a desperate attempt to cling to power at all costs.
Since Netanyahu’s return to power, the human toll has been staggering: according to Congress.gov, the official website for U.S. federal information, “Reportedly, as of October 2, 2024, more than 1,200 Israelis had been killed as a result of the October 7 attacks, more than 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, and at least 346 Israeli soldiers have died in battle.” numbers don’t include the hundreds of Palestinias who have since been killed in military operations in the West Bank. Despite all of these casualties, Netanyahu refuses to end the war on Palestine and bring the hostages home. While Netanyahu portrays his policies as necessary for Israel’s survival, the reality is a cycle of violence that has left both communities grieving, fearful and further away from peace than ever before.
It is important to understand that the Israeli government does not represent the Israeli people. In a survey conducted by The Israeli Democracy Institute, an independent center of research dedicated to strengthening the foundations of Israeli democracy, 72.5 percent of Israelis want Netanyahu to resign. (One must note that Jews and Israelis are not the same; not all Jews are Israelis and Israel itself is home to diverse communities. Conflating these identities oversimplifies the conflict and fuels harmful stereotypes.)
Of course, not all Israelis share this critical view of Netanyahu. In an interview with Dror Shahaf, an Israeli supporter of Netanyahu, he defended the prime minister.“You didn’t grow up in the culture, or in the conflict, or understand the region and its language,” Shahaf said. “I don’t think any other leader in Israel could have endured the pressure and the struggle Israel has faced. Netanyahu has shown that he’s the one who can lead us through this difficult time.”
I understand that I don’t live in Israel, but I do have experience as someone deeply connected to its culture and politics. Criticism of Netanyahu is not a failure to understand Israel’s reality; it is a refusal to accept that fear, division and endless conflict are the only possible future with him still in power. It’s precisely because I care about Israel’s future that I believe we must demand better leadership, one that prioritizes peace, justice and the dignity of all people.
As Zohar Tirosh-Polk, an Israeli critic of Netanyahu, told me in a recent interview, “ I need the atrocities to end, aid to flow in, and the ceasefire to happen, and the hostages to come home.” As students, young people and members of a global community, resistance means staying informed, speaking out against injustices and refusing to let this issue fade into the background. It means challenging one-sided narratives, raising awareness in our schools and communities, and pushing for humanitarian aid and peace over violence and power. Whether through classroom discussions, social media, protests, or conversations with friends, we each have a role to play in demanding justice. If we want a future where power no longer comes before human life, the time to act is now, and that is a responsibility that belongs to all of us.
