After 16 months in opposition, Benjamin Netanyahu is plotting his return as Israel’s prime minister, teaming up with the nation’s far right in a bid to replace the unwieldy coalition that removed him from office.
The path back to power for Israel’s longest-serving prime minister hinges on support from a number of once-fringe politicians who have deepened domestic strife and drawn rebukes from the U.S. Among them is Itamar Ben-Gvir, a 46-year-old lawyer whose support may be critical to the former premier.
Israel’s politics have been deadlocked between a pair of factions divided by their support or opposition to Netanyahu, 73. Netanyahu’s opponents are determined to prevent his return as he confronts a series of legal cases, while supporters say he’s the subject of a witch hunt, and the only politician who can bring back stability.
