Benjamin Netanyahu’s Complex Legacy In Peril Amid The Ongoing Challenge And With Elections Looming In FY26, Support Within Israel Is Dwindling For The Leader

Benjamin Netanyahu‘s leadership style has been a subject of debate and contention; critics have long pointed out that he can be smug, vindictive, and ruthless when dealing with political adversaries.

Moreover, he is under the cloud of multiple corruption charges, which have raised concerns about his ethics and motivations; however, his ability to win elections fairly, often against significant odds, suggests that his leadership resonates with many voters.

Security and Vision
One of the key reasons for Netanyahu’s political longevity is his focus on Israel’s national security, and he has consistently displayed a strategic vision that appeals to a significant portion of the Israeli electorate.

In the mid-1990s, Netanyahu challenged the assumptions underlying the peace process with the Palestinians, a stance that has become widely accepted in Israel.

At the same time, he was also among the first to recognize the threat posed by Iran, actively advocating for international attention on the issue.

Moreover, his successful alliance with former President Donald Trump resulted in several beneficial outcomes for Israel, including the relocation of the American Embassy to Jerusalem and the withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.

Election Dynamics
The recent election, closely contested by Netanyahu’s Likud party and the Blue and White alliance, reflected the enduring appeal of Netanyahu’s leadership despite his divisive qualities.

Blue and White sought to make the election a referendum on Netanyahu, focusing on his personal failings and corruption charges; however, the Israeli electorate prioritizes security above all else, which played in Netanyahu’s favour.

Security Trumps All
Netanyahu’s credibility on security matters has been a pivotal factor in his success; many Israelis find it hard to identify instances where he has been wrong in this domain.

Hence, regardless of his personal shortcomings, voters are willing to overlook them in favour of a leader who demonstrates a deep commitment to safeguarding the nation.

Hamas and Netanyahu’s Legacy
The recent conflict with Hamas has posed a significant challenge to Netanyahu’s legacy; the failure to anticipate and effectively respond to Hamas’s actions has led to devastating consequences.

The situation has raised questions about Netanyahu’s policies and his ability to ensure Israel’s security. Hence, the current war may force him to focus on damage control and seek military and diplomatic success during this crisis to mitigate the damage to his legacy.

Divisive Policies
Netanyahu’s most recent term as prime minister saw him forming a government with far-right and ultra religious politicians and pursuing divisive policies; these actions, along with the controversial judicial overhaul, have contributed to the growing division within Israeli society, shifting attention away from security concerns.

Nation Above All
Those Israelis who want Netanyahu gone (there are many) want him gone for reasons such as his personality, coarsening of Israeli political discourse, pettiness and, corruption.

Those Israelis who want Netanyahu to stay want him to stay despite those same characteristics; since they can forgive the prime minister for often being a small man because they appreciate him as a great leader.

In his more than three decades in politics, Benjamin Netanyahu has accrued almost as many nicknames as he has election wins.

There’s “The Magician” for his uncanny ability to grab victory from the jaws of defeat.
Then there is “King Bibi” for staying atop Israeli politics longer than anyone else and, universally “, Bibi”, but there is another one he revelled in, “Mr Security”, which now appears to be in shreds given the current situation.

It remains unclear as to how more than 1,000 Hamas militants managed to take Israel by such devastatingly deadly surprise, murdering – as President Isaac Herzog wrote – more Jews in one day than at any time since the Holocaust.

At present, Netanyahu’s opponents are not demanding his resignation. Yair Lapid, the current leader of the opposition and a former prime minister, emphasized that this is not the time nor the place to assign blame or call for changes in leadership.

Nonetheless, a moment of reckoning is on the horizon; Amit Segal, the chief political commentator for Israel’s Channel 12, believes that it would be a significant departure from tradition if Netanyahu’s prime ministership survives the ongoing conflict.

He points out that historical precedent suggests that every significant crisis in Israeli history led to the collapse of the government.

Notable examples include the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the First Lebanon War in 1982 under Menachem Begin, and the Second Lebanon War in 2006 under Ehud Olmert’s leadership.

Drawing historical parallels, it’s worth noting that the last time Israeli intelligence faced such a colossal failure with substantial casualties was almost half a century ago when Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel during Yom Kippur.

However, this conflict differs significantly, as Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, points out that the previous war followed a certain logic of norms and rules, ultimately leading to negotiations for peace, as evidenced by Egypt’s President Sadat.

Yet, in the case of Hamas, there is little room for such negotiations, as it represents a different set of challenges altogether; inevitably, some form of negotiation, likely through intermediaries like Egypt, will be necessary.

As Israel intensifies its military campaign with airstrikes and imposes a complete blockade on Gaza while preparing for a possible ground invasion against Hamas, another critical task looms—securing the release of the hostages held by militants within Gaza.

Can Netanyahu Overcome And Deliver
These challenges would have been formidable even for Netanyahu in his prime; however, after ten months of grappling with protests against his controversial judicial overhaul, dealing with a corruption case, and facing a near-death experience, he now confronts these challenges as a battered and diminished figure.

The current situation provides little consolation for Netanyahu, as the attention of Israelis is overwhelmingly focused on the immediate threat posed by Hamas, overshadowing concerns about his political future.

While it’s true that Netanyahu has faced political obituaries in the past only to make remarkable comebacks, this time feels different, and the unexpected war, one he did not choose, could be his most formidable challenge yet.
As Channel 12’s Amit Segal points out, the focus on his judicial reforms did not aid his image during this crisis.

The invasion by Hamas appears to have been planned well in advance when Netanyahu was in the opposition; it would be a miscalculation to believe that Hamas was primarily seeking economic concessions and an easing of Israel’s Gaza blockade; it has become a monstrous regime with intentions that go beyond economic interests.

The coming days and weeks will determine whether Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Forces can effectively address this formidable adversary; there is a possibility that he could establish a national unity “emergency” government, which would insulate him from calls for his resignation, at least in the short term.

However, even if the more extreme and dysfunctional elements of Netanyahu’s coalition are marginalized, their ideas may continue to influence Israeli politics.

The shock and anger generated by Hamas’s audacious assault have left a significant impact on Israeli voters, and some segments of the population may be open to more extreme solutions in response to the ongoing crisis.

In a zero-sum game where the choices are “them or us”, the image of “Mr. Security” may falter in the eyes of the Israeli public, and the outcome of the conflict with Hamas will significantly influence Netanyahu’s political future.

If he manages to lead a successful war, he might survive politically, but his reputation has already taken a hit, and his political opponents may call for his resignation in light of the systemic failure.

The Last Bit, Benjamin Netanyahu’s legacy as a leader is a complex one.
While his security-focused vision has resonated with many Israelis, his personal failings and divisive policies have sparked criticism and division.

The recent conflict with Hamas presents a substantial challenge to his legacy, and the outcome will determine his political future; as Israel unites in the face of this crisis, the country’s divided opinions about Netanyahu will remain relevant, but for now, the focus is on the immediate challenges posed by the ongoing conflict.