Did Gaza War End Too Soon?

Likud's criticism of the recent Gaza operation is aimed squarely at Netanyahu's two main rivals for the prime ministership, Livni and Barak. They have strongly defended the conduct of the military campaign, while also hinting that Israel is not finished in Gaza and that there could be more attacks before the Feb. 10 elections.

The operation in Gaza drew condemnation abroad for the high Palestinian death toll, and praise at home for the relatively low number of Israelis killed. But it has not done much to elevate Barak's or Livni's prospects of winning the top job. Now their even-more-hawkish opposition is on the offensive. 

The argument seems to be working: Netanyahu has consolidated his position as the election's front-runner in recent weeks, despite his opponents' orchestration of a popular war.

"If Likud was in power, the operation would not have ended. It started well, but it ended too soon," said Leon Amoyal, a 59-year-old retiree who traveled to Jerusalem from the northern city of Haifa this week to cheer Netanyahu. "We could have eradicated Hamas."

Netanyahu got a boost last week when one of the operation's key commanders, reserve Brig. Gen. Zvika Fogel, publicly declared that Israel had missed "a historic opportunity" to crush Hamas's military capabilities.