Steven Cook speculates:
Netanyahu (by the way, I refuse to refer to him as “Bibi”) is genetically a Likudnik, but if he had kept his American passport and name – Ben Nitay – he would almost certainly be a Republican. The economic reforms that he undertook while Finance Minister between 2003 and 2005 were not Jabotinsky’s inspiration, but rather Friedman’s (as in Milton). The prime minister can be credited with creating an environment conducive to Israel’s security-driven high-tech entrepreneurial success, but gutting social programs, housing subsidies (except for those in the West Bank), and welfare payments that at one time helped make life affordable for average and poorer Israelis may yet come back to haunt Netanyahu. I would not expect Israel’s high-command to issue cryptic statements about being in “continuous consultation” and bundle the prime minister off to Eilat any time soon, but Netanyahu wasn’t a lock when he “won” the February 2009 elections – Likud actually got one less seat than Kadima – and he seems potentially vulnerable at this moment.
Nadav Eyal shares related thoughts.
(Photo: An Israeli man wears a mask of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a protest against rising housing prices and social inequalities on July 30, 2011 in Tel Aviv, Israel. By Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)
The Dish 