My latest: Netanyahu is not Israel

Is Benjamin Netanyahu Israel? Is Israel Benjamin Netanyahu?

If you spend a few weeks there, talking to Israelis, the answer is pretty clear: no. To many Israelis, their Prime Minister no longer represents them. Israeli pollsters say around two-thirds of the country want him gone.

I came back from Israel a few days ago. I was there to film a documentary about the propaganda war against the Jewish state and the West. The documentary argues there is a coordinated, effective and well-funded campaign against the Jewish state, one that has unleashed a torrent of antisemitism around the world.

Official antisemitism has again reared its foul head in Canada, some claim. On Monday morning, Canada – along with Britain and France – issued a statement that said: “We strongly oppose the expansion of Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable.” The statement warned of “targeted sanctions” against Israel, but also called for the release of the remaining hostages and an end to Hamas’ control of Gaza.

The day before, Netanyahu had already announced that trucks carrying food and aid would be permitted into Gaza. “We must not reach a situation of famine, both from a practical and a diplomatic standpoint,” the Israeli Prime Minister said in a video.

If you talk to people in Israel – and this writer did, with around 100 people from all walks of life, all over the country – you will find widespread disapproval of Benjamin Netanyahu, and somewhat less disapproval of his governing Likud Party. Israelis will tell you that Netanyahu facilitated Qatar’s funding of Hamas before its attack on October 7; that he did not prevent the atrocities of October 7; that he has not won the war against Hamas, after nearly 600 days of trying; and – most critically – he has shown too little interest in returning the remaining hostages to Israel.

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