Amid Outcry Abroad, a Wealth of Backing in Israel for Netanyahu

JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is stuck between mounting international outcry over civilian casualties from his assault on the Gaza Strip and intensifying calls at home to finish the job he started.

Several of his top ministers are pushing for a full takeover of Gaza, which the prime minister has opposed, while even Israel’s allies, led by Secretary of State John Kerry, have demanded an immediate halt to hostilities. Many Israelis, feeling more isolated than ever and outraged over the anti-Semitic tinge of pro-Palestinian demonstrations around the world, are wary of walking away before the tunnels into their territory uncovered by troops have been destroyed.

Mr. Netanyahu, known as a tough-talking but risk-averse hawk whose political life has been defined by security issues, agreed to a 12-hour pause in the fighting on Saturday, and then to a 24-hour extension, but not, so far, to Mr. Kerry’s broader cease-fire plan.

“When I see him on TV now, I see he is gray, you see he does not like the situation he is in,” said Yossi Verter, a political columnist for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

“He was always very tough with words and not tough with action — now he is tough with actions, but not so much tough,” Mr. Verter added. “He wants to end it, even though he knows he will pay a price.”

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http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/27/world/middleeast/losing-support-from-abroad-netanyahu-finds-a-wealth-of-backing-at-home.html