These two driven politicians are now the problem, not the solution
No matter. As far as the pair’s detractors were concerned, both were — shock, horror — “populist”; the two of them apparently subordinated the state to their own personal ends; and Bibi had even adopted “fake news” as invective to delegitimize the guardians of democracy.
But as the curtain falls on 2021 with both Netanyahu and Trump in the wilderness dreaming of a comeback, the threadbare comparison is at last realizing itself. Both occupy the same place in their national politics: superstars whose personal brands now threaten the survival of their political blocs.
To understand how two such different careers produced the same endgame, note what both really have in common.
THE STRATEGY OF BUILDING A BASE utterly unlike themselves is number one. Given his own liberal inclinations and elite aspirations, Bibi is not the most obvious choice to head Israel’s working-class, right-wing-religious bloc. Yet Netanyahu’s political longevity has been possible due to the strength and cohesion of the alliance he crafted.
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