Ex-Netanyahu Aide Says He May Quit Politics if Polls Turn Against Him

Aviv Bushinsky, who once served as Benjamin Netanyahu’s close adviser and chief of staff, says the prime minister’s decision on whether to lead Likud in the next election could hinge on polling and the identity of his rivals, not public pressure. The article says Israeli politics is focused on the question of whether Netanyahu will seek another term or leave public life.

Bushinsky argued that if Netanyahu sees Likud falling behind in the polls and believes the opposition could win a majority, he will likely step aside. “If he sees that he is trailing in the polls and there is a chance for the opposition to obtain a majority, in my opinion he will quit,” Bushinsky said.

He said the most important consideration for Netanyahu would be avoiding a humiliating defeat that could damage his public and historical legacy. In Bushinsky’s view, the worst outcome for Netanyahu would be losing to people with whom he has especially complicated personal and political ties.

Bushinsky named Naftali Bennett, Netanyahu’s former aide, as one such rival. “I think the thing that would embarrass Netanyahu the most is losing to his former assistant Naftali Bennett,” he said. He added that another intolerable outcome would be losing to former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, whom Netanyahu’s circle reportedly describes as a “naevach,” a dismissive Hebrew term for someone seen as weak or pitiful.