Would Another War Help Netanyahu Win Reelection?

Israeli elections are less than two months away, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s prospects are not looking good. Opinion polls show support for his Likud party stagnating or even declining, while the main opposition party is steadily rising. The scare tactics that Netanyahu employed so successfully in the past against his rivals aren’t gaining traction this time. Meanwhile, a clutch of new right-wing parties threatens to divide his bloc and steal votes from Likud.

So, what can Netanyahu do to rescue himself from the very real risk of being voted out of power?

Israeli elections are less than two months away, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s prospects are not looking good. Opinion polls show support for his Likud party stagnating or even declining, while the main opposition party is steadily rising. The scare tactics that Netanyahu employed so successfully in the past against his rivals aren’t gaining traction this time. Meanwhile, a clutch of new right-wing parties threatens to divide his bloc and steal votes from Likud.

So, what can Netanyahu do to rescue himself from the very real risk of being voted out of power?

Political analysts and commentators have warned that Netanyahu might disrupt the election by encouraging (if not orchestrating) violence, deploying the police against the opposition, delegitimizing the Central Elections Committee that oversees the vote and, if all else fails, raising Trump-style “stolen election” claims after the polls close. While none of these threats has materialized so far, the campaign gets underway in earnest only on Sept. 7, when the parties submit their final election slates.