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00:00Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets of Jerusalem in renewed protest
00:04against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
00:07A myriad of issues have sparked anger, including the collapse of the ceasefire, but also Netanyahu's
00:12efforts to remove key security and judicial officials, and legislation to increase political
00:17power over the judiciary.
00:20Demonstrators gathered outside parliament on Wednesday afternoon, then proceeded to
00:23Netanyahu's home, with clashes between protesters and police continuing into the night.
00:29For more on the political situation in Israel, we can bring in Dr. Ori Goldberg, who's an
00:35author and specialist in Middle Eastern studies.
00:39Thank you very much for speaking to us on France 24.
00:42I want to start with these anti-Netanyahu protests.
00:45I mean, they've been going on for quite some time.
00:47Can public opinion turn even more against Netanyahu, and are these protests going to
00:52result in anything?
00:55Let me try and answer the second part of your question first.
01:00Protests don't usually bring immediate results.
01:02It's not as though a government who has a hostile relationship with its people resigns
01:06simply because people take to the streets.
01:08But I think the effect is building, and yes, public opinion can definitely turn more against
01:13Netanyahu.
01:14The protests that took place two years ago that were suspended because of the war were
01:20protests that were directed at Netanyahu personally, but they were based on the assumption that
01:25Netanyahu is doing what he thinks should be done for the country.
01:30The protesters now are much angrier than they once were.
01:32Netanyahu is seen as acting with complete malfeasance to protect and enhance his personal
01:38interests alone.
01:40That goes to the management of the war, where he ignores the fate of the Israeli hostages,
01:46and it goes to his desire to dismiss the head of Israel's security service, Shin Bet, who's
01:51carrying out investigations into Netanyahu and close advisors.
01:55The one thing that's still missing mostly from this discourse are the Palestinians.
01:59The plight of the Palestinians is of no concern to the great majority of Israelis, even those
02:04protesting in the streets.
02:06And in terms of the renewal of the violence in Gaza, as much as it's shocked many, it's
02:12almost not surprising, at least politically speaking, Netanyahu seemed to have little
02:16room to move.
02:17His coalition was about to collapse, which would have triggered new elections.
02:23It's not surprising.
02:24I don't know if his coalition was about to collapse.
02:26He would have received support from the opposition had he decided to go through with the deal.
02:33But throughout the duration of the ceasefire, Israel killed more than 100 Palestinians,
02:37so one can say this was to be expected.
02:40And in fact, Israel is actively doing exactly what it did two months ago, to the extent
02:46that in a way it seems like Israel is trying to pretend the last two months have not happened.
02:50That is of course a delusional thought, both politically and strategically, and I have
02:55no doubt that the effects will come to haunt Netanyahu and his government sooner rather
02:59than later.
03:00Well, what about his corruption trial?
03:03Prosecutors have agreed for him to not give testimony in this trial.
03:08Is this just part of an effort to kick the can further down the road?
03:12What's going to come of this?
03:14It's probably part of an effort.
03:16I don't know if it's a thoroughly cynical, calculated effort.
03:20I think Netanyahu really does believe that he's doing the best thing for the country.
03:26Of course, he has been in power for so long he has grown to identify his own personal
03:30interest with the national interest.
03:32But yes, the corruption trial is probably the least of his concerns at the moment.
03:37The investigation by our national police and Shin Bet into allegations linking his close
03:42advisors and perhaps himself as well to Qatari efforts that influence on Israeli policy are
03:49probably more urgent.
03:50The thing is Netanyahu has several fires ablaze around him now.
03:55I think he feels the heat and he is trying to do his best to draw attention from these
04:01problems that could potentially end his political career.
04:05And would it be accurate to say that Netanyahu seems to be employing what we could call Trumpisms
04:11more and more?
04:12He's already referred to the corruption trials against him as a witch hunt and he just posted
04:17to social media decrying what he called the leftist deep state.
04:22I think that's absolutely correct.
04:23I think Netanyahu's strike on Gaza was an attempt to ride on the coattails of Trump's
04:28strike on Yemen, to use a lethal display of military force as a means to induce negotiations,
04:36at least supposedly.
04:37The thing is Netanyahu isn't Trump.
04:40Trump doesn't care.
04:41Trump tries these tactics and abandons them at will.
04:44For Netanyahu the consequences will be much greater and they can already be seen in the
04:49remarkably changed mood of the Israeli public protesting against him.
04:53Dr. Ori Goldberg, thank you very much for your insight.
04:56We'll have to leave it there.