Is time up for Benjamin Netanyahu?

Benjamin Netanyahu is only the second prime minister in Israel’s history to win three elections in a row, but could ‘Bibi’s’ time finally be up? When Israel’s PM called a snap election – due to take place in April – initial polls suggested that his Likud party would win twice as many seats as any other party. His victory now looks somewhat less inevitable: a new party run by former army chief Benny Gantz is gaining ground; and Netanyahu, who has been in power almost ten years, is facing a series of corruption probes that could derail him.

Netanyahu’s endurance has been a testament to his ability to divide the left and keep the right guessing as to what he will do next. Bibi might be a divisive figure, particularly overseas, but a good number of Jewish Israelis still prefer him above any rival. Last month, 46 per cent of those asked by the Israel Democracy Institute backed Netanyahu.