Benjamin Netanyahu has overseen a genocide: In his telling, he’s a victim

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is heading into his 13th parliamentary election while facing intensified criticism over his leadership, including responsibility for Israel’s security breakdown on October 7, 2023 and the war in Gaza. The article says Netanyahu is again leaning on a familiar political approach: portraying himself as an outsider under attack by elites, the media, the judiciary and other unnamed forces, rather than as the leader accountable for state failures.

According to the report, recent examples include his response to a Haaretz story about alleged advance warning from the United Arab Emirates before the Hamas-led assault, as well as a campaign video showing a bullied child associated with the slogan “anyone but Bibi.” The piece also says Netanyahu has blamed defense officials for not waking him during the opening hours of the 2023 attack and that his allies have echoed claims suggesting opponents may have known more than they admitted.

Al Jazeera frames this as part of a longer pattern in Netanyahu’s politics, tied to Likud’s base and to wider populist tactics seen in other countries. The article quotes Israeli academics who say the victimhood narrative can resonate with voters who feel excluded by Israel’s establishment, while also helping Netanyahu deflect responsibility. The story matters because it shows how election messaging, the Gaza war and Israel’s internal political divides are converging in a campaign that could shape the country’s direction.