Netanyahu’s message last week in Paris is that Israel needs steady hands at the wheel. But now he no longer has a defense minister to blame, and its hard to rely on the military for political support.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s election campaign will highlight his vast experience, his authority on security issues and his reservations about military and diplomatic adventures. It will be a replay of David Ben-Gurion’s successful “Say ‘yes’ to the old man” campaign in the 1959 elections.

Ben-Gurion was 72, three years older than Netanyahu will be when he contends in the 2019 elections. The message will be updated and adapted to the era of tweets and streaming news, but its essence won’t change; Israel needs steady hands at the wheel, not inexperienced revolutionaries.

Read more in Haaretz.