From: ABC News March 21, 2025
The six controversies plaguing Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel's "King Bibi" has trouble in his palace.

With protesters camping outside Benjamin Netanyahu's house and Israelis being told to return to war, the prime minister is nevertheless going further than ever in a contentious quest to remove opponents and obstacles. According to leading experts, the stakes are high.

They're outraged, and have publicly said Israeli democracy has been backsliding under Netanyahu

Constitutional law professor Suzie Navot, from the Israel Democracy Institute, wrote:
"The red flags could not be bigger — those keen on protecting the security and democracy of the state of Israel should heed the warning."

Former chief justice, the highly respected Aharon Barak, told Israel's channel 12 this week: "Israel is very close to civil war."

Here are the six main battles the country's longest-serving leader is fighting.

1. Sacking the head of the Israel Security Agency Shin Bet:
Before now, no Israeli government had fired the director of Israel's domestic spy agency.
This week, Bar wrote a letter to cabinet ministers directly linking his dismissal to the investigation into the prime minister's office.

2. Qatar-gate:
Netanyahu's former aide Eli Feldstein (also a former spokesman for National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir — more on him later) has been charged with illegally leaking classified information to a German newspaper. It was also recently revealed he had received payments from a lobbyist for Qatar while working in the prime minister's office.

3. Sacking the attorney-general:
Israel's Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara is a public servant, not a politician.

4. Reappointing Ben-Gvir to cabinet:
The controversial National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir quit the cabinet in protest at Netanyahu accepting the ceasefire deal.
Convicted of multiple charges as a young man, including supporting a terrorist organisation and inciting racism, he is now in charge of the police.

5. Corruption trial:
The government's breaking of the ceasefire [expired March 2 So no breaking...] on March 18 coincided with a scheduled appearance by Netanyahu in court for his long-running corruption trial. He was due to testify but requested the hearing be cancelled because of the resumption of fighting. Netanyahu is facing charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust, in three cases

6. Ceasefire, commission of inquiry and an end to the war:
Polls suggest most Israelis want the government to end the war, or at least see through the ceasefire deal, with some surveys indicating a majority want Netanyahu to resign.

There is a growing movement of reservists — critically important to Israel's military — refusing to return to duty, as well as large-scale protests.