Israel’s upcoming general elections, especially after the Attorney-General’s announcement that he plans to indict the Prime Minister on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust (pending a hearing), are being framed around one issue: the personal fate of Binyamin Netanyahu. The rare consensus on this depiction is sweeping: it encompasses politicians, journalists, commentators and the public at large. Everything else – security, foreign affairs, the economy, social relations, religion and state – is being shunted aside as all involved on the various sides of the political spectrum focus almost obsessively on every possible factor that may affect whether Bibi will remain in power or not.

Such an approach is simplistic in the extreme. It fails to take into account the fact that critical issues cannot be ignored: some are too immediate to be put on hold; others serve the interests of the contestants. How these are brought into play, by whom and for what end, will have a direct impact on the results of the elections and their aftermath.

Read the full article at The Times of Israel.