In the US, Netanyahu is generally viewed as a sort of Churchillian figure: a great bulldozer of a man fighting doggedly to protect his island from a horde of Arab savages. In Israel, the perception is completely different; he’s a slippery, and somewhat corrupt, figure who poses as the indispensable conflict manager between a right that wants to bite off more than it can chew and a hopelessly naive left. He doesn’t have any great vision for the future, but he believes in slowly changing facts on the ground in Israel’s favor while doing just enough to keep the right, the left, and the rest of the world at bay.
Anyone who reads this blog knows I can’t stand the man, because, as an American, I despise his identification with the Trumpist right and his apparent feeling of moral entitlement to dictate our country’s foreign policy, even while he is taking billions of dollars of our money. If I were an Israeli, however, I admit that I might feel differently. There is no denying that Israel’s strategic position has improved in some respects during his tenure as PM, and that any visionary alternative to “conflict management” would carry serious risks. The real question for Israel is whether kicking the can on issues involving Hezbollah, the Palestinians, and the country’s Arab minority is sustainable in the long run.
I don’t think it is, but if you’re an Israeli voter, it’s the path of least resistance.