Anti-Government Protests in Israel Grow as Fighting in Gaza Continues

Facts

• Anti-government protesters in Israel called for a 'week of disruption' on Monday to agitate for new elections and a cease-fire in Gaza in exchange for the release of the hostages. Clashes between protesters and police were reported near the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.¹
• Demonstrations against Netanyahu's government have occurred almost weekly but have picked up after the withdrawal of Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot from the governing coalition. Netanyahu's coalition still has a comfortable majority in the Knesset.²
• Meanwhile, Netanyahu released a statement accusing the Biden admin. of withholding arms shipments to Israel, though Netanyahu claimed that US Sec. of State Antony Blinken had told him that the US was working to get rid of these restrictions.³
• In Gaza, fighting continued throughout the strip, with the head of the UN's main agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) saying on Tuesday that, though Israel had announced daily pauses in fighting to allow for aid delivery, 'hostilities continue in Rafah and in the south of Gaza. And that operationally, nothing has changed yet.”⁴
• Aid workers have reported that aid distribution continues to be a major hurdle, citing security risks due to the fighting and the general lack of law and order throughout the strip.⁵
• The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it is continuing to fight in southern and central Gaza, carrying out airstrikes across the strip.⁶

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera (a), ²Reuters, ³X (formerly Twitter), ⁴Al Jazeera (b), ⁵CNN and ⁶Timesofisrael.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by New York Times. Israel must be able to defend itself from terrorist attacks from Gaza or elsewhere, and the US is committed to preventing malicious actors from threatening Israel's legitimate concerns. However, the Biden administration is losing its patience with Netanyahu's intransigence. Netanyahu must be willing to work with Israel's allies to find a productive resolution to this conflict.
• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Jerusalem Post. Israel has reached a decisive point in this conflict. If Israel gives in to pressures at home or abroad, it will make clear to Israel's enemies that the country is weak and cannot stand up for itself. Protests against the government only serve to advance the interests of Israel's enemies, and the country needs national unity more than anything during these trying times.
• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. It should be clear after almost eight months of grinding brutality that Israel's true goal is to destroy Gaza and starve its people. Israel is simply not interested in committing to a permanent cease-fire, regardless of who is in power. This war must end, and Israel must finally be held accountable for its crimes.