If there's one person Prime Minister Netanyahu wants to be right now: It's Benjamin Netanyahu. While the center-left is fractured as ever, fighting over 35% of the vote respectfully, Netanyahu seems to be floating in the 9th cloud overlooking the bickering and saying, 'how lucky am I'.
It that his strategy winning reelection? certainly. According to the polls, the Right-wing/religious bloc retains a solid majority of seats in every public opinion poll, enough to ensure a stable coalition government, while there has yet been a moment of an arising an alternative to even compete for the premiership.
Netanyahu is very inclined to simple remain as acting Prime Minister during the entire campaign season, Rina Matzliach writes on MAKO, symbolic enough to court the right-center votes, thus leaving the dirty
work for Gilad Arden, Gideon Saar, Silvan Shalom and other
senior Likud members.
What Netanyahu will focus on, is staying above the fray, avoiding direct interaction with either of the party leader, who will definitely put an effort to attack him and draw his attention, and basically differentiate himself from the other candidates, getting to Jan. 23rd as an active Prime minsiter winning reelection.
Only Time will tell, if Netanyahu's popularity and convincing image is based on luck and lack of a credible opposition or that he is poised to win reelection based on the trust of the voters, granting him a mandate to lead based on his positions, policies and leadership style.
