A side-effect of the decades of nurturing that political and psychological symbiosis has been the prevention of any credible leader emerging in Netanyahu’s wake.
Caesarea, June 1 – Israel’s longest-serving head of government, forced to leave the position he has held continuously since 2009, announced today that he intends to take a break from the vicissitudes of the public, diplomatic, electoral, and legislative scene, in favor of a period of quiet reflection during which to focus on nurturing his inflated sense of self-importance.
Outgoing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told reporters today that he steps away from the premiership with an eye toward spending more time at home, with his ego, where the two can offer mutual support without the distractions or complications inherent in a public political life.
“My ego has supported me and sustained me my entire career,” explained Netanyahu, who held office for more time than even Israel’s founding father David Ben-Gurion. “I have of course reciprocated and fed my ego the entire time, but too often the demands of political life have not permitted me to devote proper individual attention to my ego, and I expect to remedy that deficit in the coming months, perhaps years.” He declined to indicate whether this hiatus from public political life represents a permanent retirement or a brief interlude.
Analysts have long noted the symbiotic relationship between Netanyahu and his ego. Numerous commentators have remarked since the 1990’s, when he launched his political career, that the interests of Netanyahu’s ego and the interests of the State of Israel as articulated by Netanyahu often appeared synonymous. The dovetailing of the two entities aroused suspicion among rivals, opponents, and occasionally allies, but Bibi, as he is popularly known, managed to shepherd both with considerable skill. Only in recent years, as his political fortunes and legal troubles have made his future in public life uncertain, has a large-enough swath of the Israeli electorate made the distinction between Israel’s interests and those of the Netanyahu ego.
Experts observed that a side-effect of the decades of nurturing that political and psychological symbiosis has been the prevention of any credible leader emerging in Netanyahu’s wake. “There’s been no room for anyone else on the Right,” explained columnist Nahum Barnea. “The Netanyahu ego demands exclusivity, a demand that rules out tolerance for any potential challengers within the political bloc. Only now, as Bibi steps out of public life to swell his ego in private, can we expect to witness the development of strong politicians elsewhere on that arc of the political spectrum.”
The experts and commentators failed to discern among themselves the same trait of confusing personal ideological interest with that of the state or society.
From PreOccupied Territory, here.