Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s apparent strategy for keeping Israel in a quasi-permanent state of war – resisting calls for a broader truce and continuing strikes in Lebanon – has been isolating him on the global stage at a time when the clock is ticking on a corruption trial against him and elections are approaching.

The long-running trial will resume on Sunday, the courts' spokesperson said on Thursday, hours after Israel lifted a state of emergency imposed over its war with Iran.

Netanyahu, the first sitting Israeli prime minister to be charged with a crime, denies charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust brought in 2019 after years of investigations.

His trial, which began in 2020 and could lead to jail terms, has been repeatedly delayed due to his official commitments, with no end date in sight.

Also, elections are due in October, and his foreign policy may cause his coalition to lose the mandate of an exhausted and confused Israeli population.

The charges against Netanyahu and the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023 have damaged his standing. HIs coalition, the most right-wing in Israel's history, is likely to lose, a Reuters analysis showed.

“Iran’s nuclear program still poses a threat, the ballistic missile program was not obliterated, and we have replaced an 86 year old Khamenei with a 56 year old Khamenei,” Yair Lapid, leader of Israel’s Opposition, wrote on X.

“There has never been such a political disaster in all of our history. Israel wasn't even at the table when decisions were made concerning the core of our national security,” he added.

Israel draws global flak

On Thursday, Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned the US against Netanyahu’s attempt to “kill democracy.”

In a social media post on X, Araghchi wrote, “Netanyahu’s criminal trial resumes on Sunday. A region-wide ceasefire including Lebanon would hasten his jailing.”

The implication was clear – that the Israeli PM is opting for a long-drawn war to evade accountability.

Within a day of the announcement of the fragile US-Iran ceasefire, global leaders have amplified their sharp criticism of the Israeli Prime Minister.

In a social media post on Thursday, Pakistan’s defence minister, Khawaja Asif called Netanyahu “evil” and “a curse to humanity.”

European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on Thursday that the Iran-US truce should extend to Lebanon. “Israel’s actions are putting the US-Iran ceasefire under severe strain. The Iran truce should extend to Lebanon,” she wrote in a post on X.

“Israeli strikes killed hundreds last night, making it hard to argue that such heavy-handed actions fall within self-defence.”

Israel sidelined in peace bid

The Israeli prime minister has framed the continuing war efforts as a strategic success, but none of Tel Aviv’s stated war goals in Iran have been met.

A fresh rupture in hostilities with Hezbollah remains a looming threat to the northern province of Israel. Israel now has three military buffer zones, in Gaza, Syria, and most recently Lebanon, putting the Jewish state in a quasi-permanent stance of warfare from all sides.

Shortly after the US-Iran ceasefire was announced, Netanyahu said that he would hold a media interaction on the state of the country’s war goals. Seventeen hours later, his office released a pre-recorded video tape of the prime minister stating that Israel had won, in essence. No media were present.

Israel will not be at the table beside the US for upcoming peace talks. A recent poll by Pew Research Centre shows that 60 percent of Americans now have a negative view on Israel, up from 53 per cent last year.

As recently as three days ago, Netanyahu was pushing Donald Trump to not give in to a ceasefire. The US President’s eventual path into peace talks shows a sidelining of Israel in Trump’s deliberations, The Guardian claimed.

On Wednesday, Pakistan’s foreign minister Dar blamed Israel for attempting to spoil Islamabad’s efforts in facilitating a ceasefire talks between US and Iran. “A dangerous development took place last night. Israel attacked Iran at a stage when both sides were set to sit down,” said Dar in the Pakistani Senate.

Long-running corruption trial

Netanyuahu will have to appear in court from this Sunday for the resumption of his corruption trial. Trump has echoed Netanyahu's calls on Israel's President Isaac Herzog for a pardon, citing the impact of regular court appearances on his ability to carry out his duties.

Herzog's office has said the justice ministry's pardons department would gather opinions to submit to the President's legal advisor, who will formulate a recommendation, as per standard practice. Pardons are not usually given mid-trial.

(With agency inputs)