In the Nov ’22 elections some left-leaning Israeli commentators suddenly admitted that Benjamin Netanyahu has legacy, and then promptly warned him not to ruin it by allying with far-right parties! This was a surprise because his detractors seldom have anything good to say about Bibi.
With that, let’s continue our foray into what makes Bibi tick and what we can learn from it, for better or worse.
For lessons #1-#3, see: Three Lessons I Learned From Benjamin Netanyahu
Lesson #4 – Maintaining Trust
Part of the recent political gridlock in Israel is due to the fact that several key players are now unwilling to even consider a power-sharing compromise with Netanyahu. Perhaps most notable among them is Benny Gantz, who served as Netanyahu’s minister of defense, but felt betrayed when Bibi backtracked just as Gantz was supposed to take over at prime minister. This injected paralysis into the Israeli leadership and reduced the room for maneuvering and pragmatic compromises for the sake of governance.
Take-home Lesson: Be worthy of others’ trust. Trust is very hard to regain. A high level of integrity is challenging to maintain anywhere, but you can do it by God’s grace; and thankfully most of us don’t have to deal with the conflicting tensions of politics swirling around promises, money and public relations.
Lesson #5 – Sin and Confession
Bibi is now beset with a drawn-out legal trial over alleged corruption, including whether he or his cronies “bought” slightly more favorable press with certain regulatory favors, and whether he and his wife should have accepted so many extravagant gifts from benefactors.
However, he seemingly beat off his biggest scandal much earlier in his career when he admitted to adultery in a January 1993 video interview with Israeli media. Since that time Netanyahu has not had to deal with accusations of sexual immorality, which is more than several other Israeli leaders can say. Several other leading Israeli politicians, generals and police chief candidates have in recent years curtailed their own careers and disqualified themselves for advancement, due to sexual harassment and exploitation.
Take-home Lesson: Positions of influence, authority and fame make sexual immorality an even bigger temptation than it already was. Don’t sin; and if you do, confess it. Adultery is playing with fire (Proverbs 6:27). “Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). Watch out for the big three which have destroyed many: “Gold, Glory and Girls.”
Lesson #6 – A Lengthy Rule
Benjamin Netanyahu has already served as prime minister cumulatively for 15 years. That is ridiculously long.
In the parliamentary system of Britain one has to go back two centuries to find a prime minister with such endurance. In more recent history, Britain’s “Iron Lady,” Margaret Thatcher, ruled for 11 years, and that was longer than any other 20th century British prime minister. Germany’s Angela Merkel led her country, and, effectively, the rest of Europe, for an astonishing 16 years, after which she gracefully retired.
Many of Bibi’s more moderate or circumspect supporters wished he could have already done the same; or at least that he will do so at the end of this term. To some, it seemed that earlier in his “reign” Netanyahu used the plural “we” more often than the singular “I” when speaking of the government’s plans and accomplishments. Is there a law of diminishing returns in which years of success breed arrogance?
Is it competitive drive that is still motivating Bibi? Is it genuine concern for the survival of Israel? Is it the combination of strong confidence and a strong ego? Is it the desire for a “steady hand on the wheel” during these tumultuous times, as one of his recent election ads explained? Perhaps it’s all of the above.
Netanyahu was the first Israeli prime minister who had not lived through and played a significant role in Israel’s generation of “founding fathers.” David Ben-Gurion and Menachem Begin were already heads of their respective wings of Israeli politics at the start of Israeli independence in 1948. Yitzhak Rabin was one of the more significant commanders of the Israeli War of Independence. Bibi has earned a place alongside some of those in the founding generation.
Take-home Lesson: None of us are exempt from temptations, including those that positions of influence bring. Power has a nasty tendency to corrupt. For this reason, among others, the Nazarene said, “All who have come before me are thieves and robbers…” (John 10:8). Positions of influence will not bring us sudden integrity. They will expose the character traits we have developed over decades, for better and for worse. Start being the person, today, that you want to be, that you hope to be in the future.
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For the final installment and Lessons #7-9 click here .
