Can Bibi Dodge Responsibility?

Key points

• Israel's longest-serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, may face his biggest electoral challenge in an election due in about a fortnight. It is the first national vote since the October 7 attacks plunged the Middle East into turmoil.
• The Israeli electorate is highly polarised, and the winner is likely to depend on minor parties. Netanyahu and his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, are both trying to build a coalition to govern.
• The piece examines the forces shaping the race and whether change would follow if Netanyahu were removed from power.