Are Netanyahu’s days numbered?
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What recent military actions have the US and Israel taken against Iran?
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Jack McLennan was 27, fit and visibly strong. He was trained well. He knew how to hit and I was gobsmacked. He seemed ready for anything, but then he suddenly vanished. I was just talking to him last night, like, how the hell does that happen?
Is there a possibility for a peace deal in the current conflict?
I'm Rob Bergen. Join me as I investigate what became of Jack in the new season of Unravel.
There has to be something more nefarious going on.
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The US military is striking Iran and Israel has ramped up its attacks in southern Lebanon. So is there really a chance of a peace deal? And does the Israeli leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, even want one as he faces an election within months? Today, Dov Waxman, Professor of Israel Studies at UCLA, on Netanyahu's tactics. I'm Sam Hawley on Gadigal land in Sydney. This is ABC News Day.
Dov, we're going to consider the future of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and what his aims are before an election this year, which could be sooner rather than later, couldn't it?
Well, at the moment, it seems... Most likely that the election will take place as scheduled at the end of October. It could all change in the next day or two.
What are Netanyahu's political strategies leading up to the election?
Some of the opposition parties are hoping for an earlier election to take place in September. But whether it takes place in September or October, there will definitely be an election this year. And Netanyahu's future is really very much up for grabs right now.
Yeah. And what are the polls showing us? What are the Israelis thinking of Benjamin Netanyahu at this point?
Well, in terms of the latest polling, his party is still likely to receive the Likud party, still likely to receive the largest share of the vote, which would give it the greatest share of seats in the parliament. But it doesn't look like it's going to be able to form a coalition. At the same time, the opposition to Netanyahu is also projected not to get a majority of seats in the parliament.
All right, OK, well, let's come back to this election in a moment.
How are the latest polls reflecting public opinion on Netanyahu?
Dov, we know that Benjamin Netanyahu, he was instrumental in convincing Donald Trump to begin the war against Iran. And while peace negotiations are still underway to end that war, the Israeli leader has intensified attacks in southern Lebanon, hasn't he? Just tell me what's going on and why he's doing it.
Yeah, as the peace talks are progressing or appear to be progressing with Iran, Netanyahu's really decided to escalate the situation very dramatically in Lebanon.
Shots ring out on Lebanon's border with Israel. In the latest escalation in its conflict with the militant group Hezbollah, Israel is warning residents from across southern Lebanon to evacuate the region. This is a major development which could affect hundreds of thousands of people and we are already seeing reports that many are fleeing the area...
There's really not been a ceasefire in Lebanon, although that was officially announced and it was tied to the ceasefire between the United States and Iran. And now Israel is calling for the complete evacuation of southern Lebanon, basically. In many ways, this, I think, is a response to the prospect of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran. And this is not something that Netanyahu wanted to happen. I think many Israelis are disappointed with the best inconclusive results of the war with Iran. And Netanyahu is therefore under the defensive in that. He's also under a lot of criticism for failing to deal with the continuing threat that Hezbollah poses to Israeli citizens in northern Israel.
And so really, he's trying to signal to his domestic audience that, you know, whatever Trump decides to do with Iran, over which I should say Netanyahu is basically very little influence at this point. He's really a spectator to those peace talks between the United States and Iran. He's determined to show that at least when it comes to Lebanon and Hezbollah, he's going to be independent from Trump and he's going to do what he thinks is in Israel's best interest and the hope, which I think is a futile hope, that somehow, you know, another military offensive against Hezbollah will lead to that group's disarmament in Lebanon, which is, I think, an unlikely outcome.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What recent military actions have the US and Israel taken against Iran?
0:00–0:24
2
Is there a possibility for a peace deal in the current conflict?
0:24–1:48
3
What are Netanyahu's political strategies leading up to the election?
1:48–2:40
4
How are the latest polls reflecting public opinion on Netanyahu?
2:40–5:55
5
What escalation has Netanyahu initiated in southern Lebanon?
5:55–10:01
6
How does Netanyahu's approach affect his political future?
10:01–13:30
7
What role does the far-right coalition play in Netanyahu's government?
13:30–14:42