Desperate Netanyahu Now Needs The People His Latest Deal Abandons!

Right, so Benjamin Netanyahu has made himself a victory film, because, of course, he has. Explosions. Soldiers. Trump is praising him. Congress clapping. Netanyahu in body armour, looking as though he personally carried the entire Israeli military up a hill before breakfast.Lots of fire, lots of flags, and absolutely no sign of the people who have to keep making it all happen, because there is one scene missing from Netanyahu’s film.The one where Israel’s military chief warns that severe manpower shortages, repeated reserve call-ups, and too few new recruits are pushing the IDF towards its limits, with a risk of it “collapsing in on itself.” That bit did not make the final cut.Neither did the manpower shortage. Nor the exhausted reservists. Nor the coalition deal protecting tens of thousands from service while those already serving are told to stay longer.Now the Israeli parliament has shut down, an election is coming, and Netanyahu needs votes from the same people his politics have been grinding into the floor.Some victory. And that’s it. The Knesset is closed.Not the government, mind you. Netanyahu is still welded to the prime minister’s chair like it’s the last seat on the escape pod. His cabinet is lurking in the shadows as ever. He can still order airstrikes, summon meetings, and parade around as if the Middle East is his own personal game of Risk, where only he, the galaxy-brained mastermind, is able to grasp its cosmic complexity.What’s over is the luxury of running the show with no closing time, because last orders have been called.So every new casualty, every unsuccessful operation, every additional call-up, every row with the army, every grubby little coalition favour now comes with the same additional question looming over it.What will voters make of this?