Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Monday June 15 that he intended to run in the legislative elections scheduled for the end of the year, while he faces criticism regarding his management of the war in the Middle East and its consequences.
“I’m going to run for office and I intend to win,” the veteran leader said at a news conference, his first speaking engagement since Washington and Tehran reached a deal to end the war in the region.
The Israeli prime minister, aged 76, has governed the country longer than any other prime minister (more than 18 years cumulatively since 1996). He dreams of a final mandate while he is entangled in a corruption trial which has lasted for more than five years, and while he is trying to obtain a presidential pardon.
In recent months, he has faced increasing criticism from opposition leaders, who accuse him of failing to achieve the war goals he set after Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023.
Israeli officials from across the political spectrum on Monday blasted the deal between Iran and the United States, saying it did not address Israel’s security concerns. Naftali Bennett, former prime minister and Benjamin Netanyahu’s main competitor in the upcoming elections, said the deal marked a “dangerous turning point for Israel’s security.”
