First elected as prime minister in 1996, Benjamin Netanyahu has won five elections since, making him the longest-serving leader in Israel’s history (exceeding even David Ben-Gurion, its founding PM). He has spent just 18 months out of office since 2009. His right-wing politics, particularly his approach to the Palestinian question , have profoundly shaped Israeli society and public opinion.

He has seldom been personally popular (recent polls suggest only 40% of Israelis trust him), but “King Bibi”, an exceptionally shrewd operator, long ago established himself as “Mr Security”, the man best placed to protect Israel from its enemies, notably Hamas and Iran . To his detractors, he is ruthless, reckless, a danger to democracy who prioritises his own political survival over Israel’s int

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