As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began facing cross-examination by prosecutors in his criminal trial, the majority of Israelis are much more focused on “life-and-death” issues as the Gaza war wears on, Haaretz columnist and public opinion expert Dahlia Scheindlin said on the Haaretz Podcast. 

The subdued level of public interest “highlights how Israelis have become resigned to the extraordinary situation of their prime minister being on trial for corruption during the longest war and the most devastating war Israel has ever had,” Scheindlin said. 

While polls show a majority of Israelis frustrated and “furious” over that situation, “they feel helpless to do anything about it,” Scheindlin added. 

Deeply upset about the continuing hostage crisis and IDF casualties, and with reservists and their families exhausted, the Israeli public has little patience for courtroom banter regarding issues like the size of a Bugs Bunny doll that a Hollywood tycoon gave to the Netanyahu children in the 1990s which, Scheindlin said, “trivializes the proceedings.”

In her conversation with host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Scheindlin also analyzes the brewing political crisis in Israel as the ultra-Orthodox party Degel HaTorah threatens to bring down the government over its failure to pass a law exempting Haredi men from military service and assesses the odds as to whether the country will soon be heading into new elections. 

“When governments fall in Israel, they usually fall over religion and state issues,” she said. 

Subscribe to Haaretz.com for up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Israel in English. 

Read more:

'I Did Not Commit a Single Crime': Netanyahu Calls Indictments 'Persecution' on First Day of Cross-examination

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As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began facing cross-examination by prosecutors in his criminal trial, the majority of Israelis are much more focused on &ldquo;life-and-death&rdquo; issues as the Gaza war wears on, Haaretz columnist and public opinion expert Dahlia Scheindlin said on the Haaretz Podcast.&nbsp;
The <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/haaretz-today/2025-06-04/ty-article/.highlight/israelis-hold-netanyahu-guilty-of-far-greater-crimes-than-the-charges-he-faces-in-court/00000197-3c49-da41-a9f7-3dcd90160000">subdued level of public interest</a> &ldquo;highlights how Israelis have become resigned to the extraordinary situation of their prime minister being on trial for corruption during the longest war and the most devastating war Israel has ever had,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/ty-WRITER/0000017f-da25-d494-a17f-de27a1400000">Scheindlin</a> said.&nbsp;
While polls show a majority of Israelis frustrated and &ldquo;furious&rdquo; over that situation, &ldquo;they feel helpless to do anything about it,&rdquo; Scheindlin added.&nbsp;
Deeply upset about the continuing hostage crisis and IDF casualties, and with reservists and their families <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-03-16/ty-article-magazine/.premium/facing-reservist-shortage-idf-units-resort-to-dubious-recruitment-ads-on-social-media/00000195-9e7a-d885-a39f-bf7bdcb10000">exhausted</a>, the Israeli public has little patience for courtroom banter regarding issues like the size of a <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-06-03/ty-article-live/five-years-after-criminal-trial-began-netanyahu-faces-first-day-of-cross-examination/00000197-349a-d9f1-abb7-7cfe61600000?liveBlogItemId=172598546&amp;utm_source=site&amp;utm_medium=button&amp;utm_campaign=live_blog_item#172598546">Bugs Bunny doll</a> that a Hollywood tycoon gave to the Netanyahu children in the 1990s which, Scheindlin said, &ldquo;trivializes the proceedings.&rdquo;
In her conversation with host Allison Kaplan Sommer, Scheindlin also analyzes the brewing political crisis in Israel as the ultra-Orthodox party <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-06-03/ty-article/.premium/haredi-party-says-will-quit-govt-if-law-exempting-ultra-orthodox-from-idf-doesnt-advance/00000197-3747-d079-ab97-774737cf0000">Degel HaTorah threatens</a> to bring down the government over its failure to pass a law exempting Haredi men from military service and assesses the odds as to whether the country will soon be heading into new elections.&nbsp;
&ldquo;When governments fall in Israel, they usually fall over religion and state issues,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;
<a href="https://promotion.haaretz.com/">Subscribe to Haaretz.com</a> for up-to-the-minute news and analysis from Israel in English.&nbsp;
Read more:
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-06-03/ty-article/.premium/netanyahu-calls-indictments-persecution-on-first-day-of-cross-examination/00000197-36f3-d9f1-abb7-7ef79ca00000">'I Did Not Commit a Single Crime': Netanyahu Calls Indictments 'Persecution' on First Day of Cross-examination</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-06-03/ty-article-live/sfdaf/00000197-349a-d9f1-abb7-7cfe61600000?liveBlogItemId=1476633753&amp;utm_source=site&amp;utm_medium=button&amp;utm_campaign=live_blog_item#1476633753">Explained: Why Is Benjamin Netanyahu on Trial?</a>&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-05-28/ty-article-magazine/.premium/yes-to-transfer-82-of-jewish-israelis-back-expelling-gazans/00000197-12a4-df22-a9d7-9ef6af930000">Yes to Transfer: 82% of Jewish Israelis Back Expelling Gazans</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-06-03/ty-article/.premium/a-grim-poll-shows-most-jewish-israelis-support-expelling-gazans-its-brutal-and-true/00000197-3640-d9f1-abb7-7e742b300000">A Grim Poll Showed Most Jewish Israelis Support Expelling Gazans. It's Brutal &ndash; and It's True</a>

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

Your audio guide to Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.

Haaretz Podcast

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer. 

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

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