Amit Segal Says June 7 Could Prove Decisive for Netanyahu’s Political Future

Senior political commentator Amit Segal wrote in his weekly Israel Hayom column that June 7, not October 7, may turn out to be the date that most endangers Benjamin Netanyahu’s political future. He said the moment came after Iran fired missiles and U.S. President Donald Trump urged Israel not to respond, backing that demand with calls, interviews, and posts.

Despite intense pressure from the White House, Netanyahu chose to proceed. Segal described a tense phone call between the two leaders shortly before Israel gave the air force the green light. “Then came the phone call. ‘A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do,’” Netanyahu told Trump, according to Segal. The aircraft then headed east soon afterward.

Segal argues that what had been a major strategic asset for Netanyahu, his ties to Trump and the benefits flowing from that relationship, has started to become a political liability. He said that until April, Netanyahu enjoyed a huge advantage over his rivals because of his connection with Trump.

According to Segal, the June 2025 results of “Operation Rising Lion” were widely seen as a success, and the first weeks of “Roar of the Lion” drew almost full support. But once a ceasefire was declared, against Israel’s position, Netanyahu’s advantage narrowed. He said the costs in southern Lebanon, the return of emergency conditions in the north, and growing Iranian defiance have begun to eat away at Netanyahu’s public credit, while opposition party leaders repeatedly attack him for lacking a strategy.