JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
What are Benjamin Netanyahu's next moves? Now that a ceasefire has been declared in Gaza, the Israeli prime minister faces challenges at home but is planning to run for reelection. President Trump is coming to his aid, as NPR's Daniel Estrin reports from Tel Aviv.
DANIEL ESTRIN, BYLINE: When Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire, President Trump addressed the Israeli Parliament, heaping praise on, quote, "a man of exceptional courage."
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You know who I'm talking about. There's only one - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
(APPLAUSE)
TRUMP: Bibi, please stand up.
(SOUNDBITE OF PERSON WHISTLING)
ESTRIN: Netanyahu overruled his far-right political partners and accepted Trump's ceasefire deal.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TRUMP: I want to tell you...
(LAUGHTER)
TRUMP: ...He's not the easiest guy to deal with, but that's what makes him great. That's what makes him great.
(CHEERING)
ESTRIN: It was Netanyahu's last day to shine in Parliament before the daggers came out.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: (Non-English language spoken).
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: (Non-English language spoken).
ESTRIN: Tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protested in the streets against a law that would require them to serve in the military. Their leaders are key to Netanyahu's ability to stay in power, but they won't support Netanyahu's coalition if their community is made to serve in uniform. The Gaza war changed everything. The military says it needs more soldiers.
BINI ASHKENAZI: Don't forget that the Israeli society, the army is something that is very important to us.
ESTRIN: Bini Ashkenazi is a political correspondent for the conservative Israeli newspaper, Israel Hayom.
ASHKENAZI: When we are speaking about the army, when we are speaking about the ultra-Orthodox issue that they are not serving, most of the people are not accepted it.
ESTRIN: Another big challenge Netanyahu faces is Israelis' fury over Hamas' October 7 attack in 2023.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
RUBY CHEN: (Speaking Hebrew).
ESTRIN: Ruby Chen spoke at the funeral of his son. His body was held hostage in Gaza and recently returned. He said he would not stop pursuing the country's leaders over the October 7 security failure till they offer answers under oath in a national commission of inquiry. Netanyahu opposes such a committee investigating him. In Parliament this week, he said it would be politically biased against him.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: (Speaking Hebrew).
ESTRIN: "A large part of the country won't trust the members of the committee," he said. Some Israeli analysts think all the domestic pressures Netanyahu faces could cause his coalition to collapse in a matter of weeks or months. Former Netanyahu political adviser, Nadav Strauchler, says the prime minister is already in election campaign mode.
NADAV STRAUCHLER: I think that Trump's words in the Parliament, in the Knesset, was the starting of Netanyahu's campaign. And when you go to a campaign with Trump on your right side, it's a very sweet spot for Netanyahu to work from.
ESTRIN: If elections were held today, polls show Netanyahu would not win a majority for his camp. Neither would anyone else. The opposition is splintered. Elections could end in a stalemate. And the way Israel's system works, Netanyahu could still hang on, says Strauchler.
STRAUCHLER: A draw means a win for him, so he doesn't have to win. He just needs not to lose next election in order to stay in power.
ESTRIN: Trump is already intervening to try to save Netanyahu from his legal troubles. Netanyahu is on trial for alleged corruption. When Trump addressed the Parliament last month, he turned to Israel's president.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
TRUMP: Hey, I have an idea. Mr. President, why don't you give him a pardon?
ESTRIN: On Wednesday, Israel's president received a letter from Trump asking him to do just that. Netanyahu's corruption trial drags on into its sixth year. All the while, he remains in office. Repeatedly, he's gotten the judges to delay his trial. The latest reason being that Trump's envoy was in town. Daniel Estrin, NPR News, Tel Aviv. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.
