With all the blood and terror since last October, it is easy to forget that it took five back-to-back elections to put Bibi Netanyahu in the position he now occupies: the leader whose next decision might plunge his region, and maybe the world, into full-scale war.

This power rests in the hands of a man who, at home, has become widely despised, with only 15 per cent of Israelis now saying they support him.

A protester holds a smoke torch during a demonstration calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip and against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuCredit: Getty

It is worth recalling how arduous his path to power was, and how tenuously he holds it. In December 2018, with a one-seat majority, facing indictment on corruption charges, Netanyahu called a snap election, but instead of strengthening his position, he weakened it. With Netanyahu unable to form a government, a second election was called, and then a third, also inconclusive. With the coronavirus raging, Netanyahu’s rival Benny Gantz agreed to form a unity government. When Netanyahu reneged on their power-sharing agreement, a fourth election brought the centrist Yair Lapid to power, but his fragile coalition collapsed within a year.

At this fifth election in four years, in November 2022, voters of the left and centre proved more exhausted than the far-right and the ultra-Orthodox, who turned out in slightly greater numbers. By accommodating hate-mongers and fanatics, Netanyahu was narrowly able to form the most right-wing government in the country’s history. Its extremist policies provoked unprecedented demonstrations that shut down cities and had reservists threatening to decline military service.

And then came the intelligence failures that left........

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