The domestic criticism started pouring in almost as soon as Israel's ceasefire with Hamas was inked Wednesday night. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had waved a white flag and left the job unfinished, the opposition howled. A snap poll on TV found a large majority of the public did not support the Egypt-brokered truce.
Even so, many Israeli analysts said that for Netanyahu, a hawkish and shrewd politician who is seeking re-election in two months, the abrupt end to the eight-day hostilities in the Gaza Strip carried as many political benefits as risks.
Although he has long vowed to safeguard Israel from terrorism, the Gaza Strip was never Netanyahu's battle. If the ceasefire holds, he now has several weeks to turn domestic and international focus back to his signature security issue: Iran.