Time for a harsh truth: even with Netanyahu gone, the killing won't stop in Gaza

The central argument is that Benjamin Netanyahu’s departure would not by itself end the killing or improve the treatment of Palestinians, because dehumanizing attitudes extend across Israel’s political spectrum. After Netanyahu’s bloc lost its parliamentary majority, the piece warns against expecting the opposition to act as a meaningful break from his government. It points to opposition figures who have opposed relying on Palestinian-led parties, and to politicians including Avigdor Lieberman, Naftali Bennett and members of centrist parties who have described Gaza’s civilians or children as terrorists or responsible for their own deaths. A poll cited in the piece found nearly eight in ten Jewish Israelis agreed that there are no innocent people in Gaza.

The argument is set against the scale of harm to children: Palestinian health ministry figures put the death toll since Israel’s assault began at nearly 22,000, including at least 1,100 infants under one year old, and a UN commission concluded Israeli forces deliberately targeted and killed children. The piece also cites documented cases of children shot, including a baby injured while breastfeeding, and recent deaths in Gaza and the West Bank. It portrays opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot’s military record and association with the Dahiya doctrine as further evidence that a change of government may not mean a change in policy. Its conclusion is that only substantial outside pressure - including an arms embargo and broad sanctions - offers hope of shifting Israel’s conduct.