Unpacking the Netanyahu Legacy – part 2 |
The Architect of Disaster: Unpacking the Netanyahu Legacy – Part 2
The Weak Autocrat: How Netanyahu Became the Tail Wagged by His Extremist Ministers
For all his strongman bluster, Benjamin Netanyahu is perhaps the weakest Prime Minister in Israeli history. He has no governing vision of his own and no ability to say “no” to his coalition partners. The man who presents himself as the master strategist has been reduced to a spectator in his own government, watching as Ben Gvir and Smotrich dictate national policy.
Netanyahu’s political survival depends entirely on the 14 Knesset seats held by Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit and Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party. They know he cannot survive without them, and they have used that leverage to seize control of the levers of power. Netanyahu no longer sets policy. He approves what Ben Gvir and Smotrich demand.
Ben Gvir has transformed the Israel Police into his personal political militia, ordering them to crack down on anti-government protesters while ignoring settler violence against Palestinians. He had publicly threatened to resign if hostage deals went through, effectively holding a veto over military strategy. Netanyahu could fire him at any moment but does not, because Ben Gvir’s departure would mean coalition collapse and the end of Netanyahu’s immunity.
Smotrich has effectively become the de........