MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Israel was not part of the talks that took place between the U.S. and Iran in Switzerland over the weekend. But it watched them closely, and no one more than Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has come under intense criticism at home since the U.S. and Iran signed the preliminary agreement to end the war in Iran just months before he faces reelection. NPR's Carrie Kahn reports.
CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: In the central Israeli city of Ra'anana, two public school teachers grab a coffee at an outdoor cafe. Naomi Altuvia (ph) says she doesn't like what she's heard about the interim agreement, especially that the U.S. has left Israel out of it.
NAOMI ALTUVIA: It's supposed to include us because we were being bombed also, 'cause we're part of the whole thing. We started it with them. So not finishing with them, it doesn't make sense.
KAHN: Liron Raz (ph) says, Netanyahu told us our lives would be safer after these wars.
LIRON RAZ: It looks like he's doing everything wrong, not everything right - everything wrong. And I don't even know what to think. Believe me, I don't know. I'm like, what the hell is going on here?
KAHN: This is quite a major shift for Netanyahu who, at the beginning of the war with Iran, claimed to be on the precipice of bringing down Iran's regime and doing it hand in hand with the United States. But a few months later, and President Trump has not only sidelined Netanyahu but is publicly chiding him, like at last week's G7 summit in France.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: In all fairness to Bibi Netanyahu, who happens to be a good man, gets a little excited sometimes.
KAHN: He told Israel's national radio broadcaster that Netanyahu needs to be more rational and has used expletives to describe the prime minister's judgment. Netanyahu has not publicly criticized Trump, but he appeared to be defying him with intensified strikes in Lebanon, attacks which nearly scuttled the U.S.-Iran talks. By Sunday, however, under mounting pressure from the U.S., Israeli troops were instructed to hold their fire, which has fueled even more criticism at home from people who say Netanyahu has compromised Israel's sovereignty and tied the hands of its troops.
DAHLIA SCHEINDLIN: It looks terrible for Netanyahu.
KAHN: Especially before this October's election, says Dahlia Scheindlin, a political analyst and public opinion researcher.
SCHEINDLIN: I would say at the level of his political goals, given what he stands for and his ideology, it is one of the worst positions he's ever been in. And in terms of the Israeli public, it's too early to say. It's definitely not a good direction for him. He is losing support at present. We don't yet know if he can recover that support.
KAHN: Even Netanyahu's political base, the ultraorthodox, are unhappy.
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTER: (Praying in non-English language).
UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: (Praying in non-English language).
KAHN: A large group of young orthodox religious men, all in black suits with wide-rimmed black hats, gather in front of a military prison. They've been holding large protests throughout the country. They've picked this prison in Netanya, where a fellow yeshiva student is being detained for not registering for military service. It's mandatory in Israel. Recently, the Supreme Court struck down draft exemptions for the ultraorthodox, but some blame Netanyahu.
YOSEF SASSON MORDECHAI: (Non-English language spoken).
KAHN: "The most powerful leader in the state of Israel has fooled us over and over and over again," says Yosef Sasson Mordechai (ph). This isn't the first time Israel's longest-serving prime minister has faced public anger. He survived an ongoing corruption trial and the widespread outrage after the deadly Hamas attack of October 7, 2023. He might just overcome this, too. When asked how he'll vote come October, Sasson says, probably for Netanyahu.
Carrie Kahn, 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.
