Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's preferred strategy of driving a wedge between the right and the left has served him faithfully, ever since he first burst onto the political scene more than 20 years ago. There were only a few rare instances in which he exhibited a more inclusive official stance and appealed to the political center. This happened when he served as minister of finance in 2003 and when he had a coalition with the Labor Party in 2009. Other than that, Netanyahu always seems to prefer a return to the "crime scene," particularly in times of crisis.

The police are expected to release soon their recommendation to indict Netanyahu, apparently for bribery. Before that, Netanyahu has been tightening his relationship with the right, or what he calls, his "base." He did it when he addressed the Likud on the last night of Hanukkah on Dec. 19, and he did it again Dec. 26, when he invited the rabbinic leadership of the religious Zionist movement to his office and complained to them that the left is taking steps to bring down his right-wing government. To ensure that the right-wing rabbis really understood the significance of what he was saying, Netanyahu warned them of how the fall of his government would impact Israel’s position on the diplomatic process.

His insinuation was obvious. Even right-wing demonstrators against corruption are a tool in the hands of the left (allegedly in order to topple Netanyahu and weaken the right-wing camp). Putting his survival in practical terms, Netanyahu wanted to ensure that the anti-corruption movement on the right would not gain the upper hand. In doing this, he cast democratic activity on the right as illegitimate.

While everyone is well-aware of how Netanyahu's preferred approach to crises is to drive a deep wedge between the right and the left, the far-reaching impact that this has on Israeli society does not gain the attention it deserves. What is especially disconcerting about the phenomenon is that Netanyahu is not the only one guilty of this. Even his rivals in the opposing camp align themselves with his efforts to delegitimize the left, i.e., themselves.