The Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for launching his election campaign to be re-elected, while the Israeli state is still engaged in a fierce war against the Gaza Strip for 68 days.

The newspaper stated that Netanyahu's popularity has significantly declined amid the conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

Nevertheless, Netanyahu hopes to exploit the shock and anger that struck Israelis following Hamas's October 7 attack in his election campaign.

There is no specific date yet for the parliamentary elections in Israel, but the newspaper expected them to occur in mid-2024.

The newspaper considered that Netanyahu had actually started his election campaign yesterday, December 12, despite the country being at war.

The newspaper based this on the Israeli prime minister's statements regarding his dispute with American President Joe Biden concerning Gaza, as an introduction to the election campaign in Israel.

It added that Netanyahu is squandering the little international support Israel enjoys in its war on Gaza (mainly from the United States), in a "desperate attempt to maintain his position by provoking a dispute with Biden."

It reported that this is the third time Netanyahu has used a dispute with an American president for his own personal benefit in Israel.

It said he did so in the past with Presidents Bill Clinton in the 1990s and Barack Obama about a decade ago.

Netanyahu failed the first time against Clinton, who forced him to sign an agreement with the Palestinian Authority, and ultimately Netanyahu fell in the 1999 elections.

But he succeeded against Obama, who abandoned the peace initiative of his then Secretary of State John Kerry, and "allowed Netanyahu to portray him as anti-Israel and gained benefits inside Israel, therefore he succeeded twice in subsequent elections."

Netanyahu's fate is now at stake in Israel, after his popularity significantly declined following Hamas's sudden and unprecedented attack on October 7.

Unlike most officials, Netanyahu refused to take any responsibility for the failure against Hamas, and voices have risen calling for his dismissal and removal from office even as the fighting continues.

Biden understands well: Netanyahu (again) is seeking confrontation with the administration for his political needs
It is well known in Washington that the prime minister hopes to bear responsibility for Hamas's hesitation towards the United States and drag it into a regional war. Although the president loves Israel, his words prove he does not believe Netanyahu's claims.

American President Joe Biden has a peculiar trait: he means what he says. When he said, "Vladimir Putin is a war criminal," he meant it. When he said, "The United States will defend Taiwan," he meant it. When he said he is "committed to Israel's security," he meant it. Therefore, when he says, "I disagree with Netanyahu's words," he means it. And when he says that "global public opinion may shift," he does not only mean that, but he indicates that this causes political damage to the United States and political damage to himself.