Netanyahu's real legacy is Israel's era of political decay

Benjamin Netanyahu's enduring legacy is not defined by his political achievements but by ushering in an era of profound political decay in Israel, marked by a significant decline in the values of national leadership. This decay, the article argues, began with Netanyahu and has persisted through subsequent prime ministers, creating a political landscape where grand decisions are made with minimal consultation and where public trust erodes.

The author draws a stark comparison between Netanyahu and former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, noting their shared inclination to act as solo performers. Barak, like Netanyahu, surrounded himself with aides and ministers who were often relegated to secondary roles, effectively becoming extras in a one-man show. This tendency towards centralized power meant that key figures, such as Foreign Minister David Levy, were quickly lost. Both leaders, the piece contends, also shared a fundamental dishonesty, with Netanyahu promising to destroy Hamas while allegedly cultivating it, and Barak focusing on foreign affairs despite promising social justice.

Furthermore, the article posits that both Netanyahu and Barak contributed to the fraying of Israeli society. Netanyahu is accused of consciously tearing Israeli society apart, pushing it to the brink of civil war. Barak, similarly, engaged in ambitious diplomatic negotiations without sufficient understanding, leading to a fiasco that resulted in widespread violence. This pattern of political miscalculation and societal division, the author suggests, continued even after Barak's premature electoral defeat.

The political decay, according to the article, transcended individual leaders, with Ariel Sharon also embodying the era's dishonesty. While Sharon successfully addressed the Second Intifada, his decision to withdraw from Gaza was not transparently presented to voters beforehand. This pattern of leaders making significant decisions without full public disclosure or consensus underscores the deep-seated political decay that, the author concludes, defines Netanyahu's true legacy. The piece suggests that this era's defining characteristic is a departure from the national leadership values of previous times.

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Here I stand, devoid of deed