'Patience is running out' How has public opinion in Israel changed over the Gaza war?

Public opinion within Israel regarding the war on Gaza appears to be changing somewhat, according to an analytical article published by one of the country's largest newspapers.

In an article published in the Jerusalem Post, Israeli writer Yedidiah Stern argues that "impatience over the months-long war in Gaza is gaining momentum inside Israel, amid rising voices calling for an end to military operations in the Strip."

Stern, who is president of the Jewish People's Policy Institute and professor of law at Bar-Ilan University, stated that those who want to end the Gaza war rely on three arguments, the first related to the fate of the hostages, as "there is a growing desire to bring them home at any cost, especially since Hamas leaders conditioned their release on a complete cessation of military operations."

"There is also the security argument. Is Israel being dragged into the quicksand of Gaza, where the ongoing war imposes an increasing price tag without the strategic advantages that justify it?"

"Israelis seem to fear it. According to the JPPI, at the beginning of the fighting, 78 percent were certain of victory, but now the percentage has dropped to only 61 percent."

"The growing skepticism of victory is linked to the assessment that continued fighting will claim the blood of more IDF soldiers, fragment Israeli solidarity, delay reconstruction in the Negev and North, penalize the national economy, and reduce Israel's political support around the world."

The third argument is "political-democratic," he says, adding: "It has to do with the societal storm caused by the judicial reform that brought us to the brink of civil war, and the security earthquake caused by the Hamas invasion that fundamentally changed the reality in which the state operates. This change brings Israelis to the polls to reaffirm their support for the current leadership or to replace it."

"The JPPI shows that trust in Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) and the government is extremely low, reaching 30 percent. These figures indicate that the current leadership's ability to mobilize popular support for important actions has severely diminished."

The article concluded that "it is politically wise not to go to elections in time of war, and it is better to stop the war to allow the people to have their democratic say in granting or rejecting confidence in the government that will lead Israel in the coming period."

(Source: Sky News Arabia)