• Netanyahu's approval ratings have surged to 54% amid the conflict with Iran.
• Domestic political pressures eased as opposition parties united over the conflict.
• Netanyahu faces legal challenges, but the war diverts attention from his governance issues.
• The international community’s support for Israel has reportedly increased since the strikes began.
• Analysts caution that prolonged conflict could ultimately harm Netanyahu's political standing.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political fortunes have significantly improved in recent days, coinciding with the escalation of military action against Iran. Just before these offensive measures began, his coalition government was on the brink of collapse due to internal dissent, primarily over issues such as plans to conscript ultra-Orthodox Jews. Yet, the onset of hostilities has revitalized his public support, with recent polls indicating that 54% of Israelis now back the prime minister, marking a notable increase in his approval ratings from prior weeks. "Netanyahu is greatly strengthened," stated Yonatan Freeman, a geopolitics expert at Hebrew University, emphasizing that public backing stems from the perception of a necessary preemptive strike against Iran, a viewpoint even shared by some opposition leaders, including Yair Lapid who called the strike "the right one" in a public op-ed, according to IndiaTimes, Al Jazeera, and Dawn.

The conflict with Iran has united Israeli politicians across the spectrum, effectively silencing dissent that had been mounting against Netanyahu over his handling of the Gaza war and the ongoing hostage crisis. Prior to the Iran strikes, Netanyahu faced pressure not only from public opinion but also from lawmakers demanding action. The latest attempts to dissolve parliament and trigger new elections failed to gain traction, largely due to a lack of support from centrist and right-wing factions. Former right-wing Prime Minister Naftali Bennett remarked that there was no distinction between right and left in regard to the attacks on Iran, indicating a unified front in Israeli political thought, according to Al Jazeera, Dawn, and Anadolu Agency.

Netanyahu’s strategy of projecting external threats appears to have fortified not only his leadership but also the very fabric of his coalition, which consists of various factions struggling to maintain cohesion. As public narratives cast Iran as an existential threat, Netanyahu successfully shifts focus away from internal controversies, including ongoing corruption charges against him. This military engagement has been portrayed as vital for Israel's survival and enables him to consolidate power among the hardline elements of his government—figures who are staunch supporters of continued military operations, according to Dawn and Anadolu Agency.

However, analysts caution that while Netanyahu's popularity may remain elevated in the short term due to the conflict, the long-term implications could be perilous. If the war drags on without securing strategic objectives, or if Israeli casualties mount, public sentiment could swiftly change, potentially leading to renewed unrest against his administration. Observers like Dov Waxman advise that Netanyahu's maximalist approach could backfire, warning that the ongoing warfare risks deepening dissatisfaction among the populace if perceived as ineffective or overly destructive, emphasized by reports on public frustration over continuous military actions, as indicated by Al Jazeera and Anadolu Agency.