In the Tree brasserie off Herzl Street in Rehovot, there was much that almost everyone agreed on. Few contested that the ceasefire deal concluded by Iran and the US a few days earlier was very bad for Israel. “We were betrayed by President Trump,” said Avi Perez, 55.
Rehovot, 12 miles from Tel Aviv, has long been held up by pollsters as the epitome of “middle Israel”. Many Israelis believe the deal negotiated by the US with Iran is a betrayal. Commentators have condemned the deal as a surrender and a humiliation that was “even worse than Israel had feared”.
There is widespread concern not only that Iran will be able to rebuild stronger than before the conflict, but also that the agreement imposed in Lebanon will restrict Israel’s ability to combat Hezbollah. “Israelis believe that the war in Lebanon is a just war,” said Udi Tenne, a political strategic adviser. In Metulla, a northern town metres from Lebanon, there was anger. “It’s a big mistake,” said Daniel Dorfmann, a restaurateur.
Others spoke of the “abject failure” of Israel to achieve its war aims of regime change, the destruction of Iran’s nuclear programme and the elimination of its ballistic missiles. After starting the war “shoulder to shoulder” with the US, Israel had ended the conflict marginalised by Washington and dismissed as “a small power” by Donald Trump.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now faces the difficult challenge of convincing voters that only he can keep Israelis safe. Prof Tamar Hermann, a specialist in public opinion, said: “Netanyahu showed a kind of hubris in defining his aims so clearly. When you fail to achieve them, you are thought of as incapable of fulfilling your promises.” National polls are now expected in October, and faith in Netanyahu has been deeply shaken.
