I make no secret of my disdain for Netanyahu, for several reasons: his complete identification with the hard American right; his treatment of the Palestinians; and above all, his clear desire to force my country into a war with Iran that does not serve our interests–only Israel’s. That said, I would acknowledge that Israelis have reason to believe that their nation is more secure today than it was, say, ten years ago. And so, the question is, from the perspective of an Israeli voter, has Bibi been more lucky or good?
Some of both, but the luck predominates. On the one hand, he has avoided reoccupying Gaza, he has not completely capitulated to the Israeli far right, and his public relations efforts with the GOP has made him a hero to a certain kind of American. On the other hand, he isn’t responsible for electing Trump, the Arab Spring, which was a danger to him, fizzled without any action on his part, and Hezbollah arguably is a greater danger now than it was a decade ago.
The real issue with Bibi is that his luck could run out. There could be another, more serious, revolution, in Egypt. America could elect a Democrat in 2020. The Palestinian issue could take center stage as the result of some sort of atrocity in the Old City. Then what? Conflict management is not a long term solution to anything.