The wiliest politician in the Middle East is back – but not in charge

Bibi is back. Benjamin Netanyahu has returned to the prime ministership of Israel two years after a motley coalition of his many enemies banded together to topple him. With him removed from power and facing trial on corruption charges, many assumed that the Netanyahu era was over. They under-estimated the wiliest politician in the Middle East. In last November’s elections, Netanyahu ousted his ousters and won for himself a sixth term in which to wreak vengeance on the leftist establishment he believes is ranged against him.

Victory did not come without a price. He had to team up with the disreputable right. Itamar Ben-Gvir, once convicted for inciting racism and supporting a terrorist organisation, is the national security minister, responsible for the Israeli police; and Bezalel Smotrich, who describes himself as ‘a fascist homophobe’, but has promised he ‘won’t stone gays’, is finance minister. Netanyahu now spends much of his time distancing himself from the allies to whom he has shackled his political fortunes. Bibi is back in office but not in charge.

Bibi: My Story is his account of how he got there. He is an accomplished storyteller, a timely leader for an era of narratives. The central narrative of Bibi’s story, his personal and political bereshit, is the death of his older brother Yoni, a national hero killed in the 1976 hostage rescue mission at Entebbe. Bibi idolised Yoni, his teacher, protector, corrector in childhood and role model coming into adulthood. Without his death, Bibi reflects, ‘my life would have taken a different course’.

The course it took ranged from elite solder, to Israeli ambassador to the UN, to Knesset member, to Likud leader, to prime minister once, twice, and now a third time. He took the Likud from the national liberalism of Menachem Begin to a proto-Trumpism, roiling with sectarian grievance and populist bombast.