Benjamin Netanyahu, the longest-serving prime minister in Israel, has fundamentally reshaped the country's institutions, political landscape, and social attitudes over a decades-long career. While his supporters revere him as “King Bibi,” his opponents decry him as a leader defined by corruption and severe security failures. Observers note that his tenure has been marked by a definitive and aggressive lurch of the Israeli regime toward the far-right.

Throughout his years in power, Netanyahu allegedly re-engineered state apparatuses and security structures, systematically placing loyalists in senior positions while sidelining perceived antagonists. In 2018, his government pushed through the controversial Nation-State Basic Law, enshrining Israel as the exclusive state of the Jewish people and prioritizing illegal settlement expansion. International human rights organizations frequently cite this legislation as foundational evidence of the Israeli regime's apartheid practices against Palestinians.

Netanyahu's domestic agenda also included a fierce battle over the judiciary, characterized by the prime minister as a necessary check against a “judicial dictatorship.” Critics, however, viewed his proposed legislative overhauls as a direct assault on the independence of the High Court, sparking massive nationwide protests. Compounding these domestic tensions, Netanyahu has continuously battled multiple corruption charges dating back to 2019, alongside international arrest warrants concerning war crimes in Gaza.

Supporters continue to view him as a pragmatic statesman who delivers results unreachable by others, whereas opponents argue that reversing the systemic damage he inflicted will take generations. Analysts suggest that the polarized, militaristic opposition he inadvertently fostered may well remain his most enduring domestic legacy.

Source: www.aljazeera.com