“I’m best when I’m on my own,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told one of the people closest to him when asked why he insisted on distancing those most loyal to him. The conversation with the person, who requested anonymity, took place about a year ago. During the 2015 election campaign, which Netanyahu practically ran by himself, senior Likud officials fretted that the man and the party were about to crash. The Likud's subsequent victory, winning an impressive 30 seats, convinced Netanyahu that the Likud is him, and he is the Likud. All the other Likud Knesset members are simply there because of him.

The 2015 victory left Netanyahu without any restraints or hindrances. Most of all, it left him feeling that he didn't owe anyone anything. In other words, he had no need to consult with senior ministers. Rather quickly, he distanced ministers once considered close to him. He suspects almost all of them of being disloyal to him, except for Yariv Levin, his minister of transportation, and he certainly does not appreciate them. This is why he stands alone today, the most crucial day of the election campaign — the day Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced indictments against Netanyahu on corruption charges. Whatever happens in the elections, whether the Likud wins or crashes, the result will bear Netanyahu’s name only.

Netanyahu’s behavior during the current election campaign is a direct continuation of what happened in the last one. Once again, he is leading the Likud effort all by himself. So far, there hasn’t been a single election advertisement featuring a Likud minister who is not Netanyahu. Obviously, the Likud’s campaign budget comes out of the party's coffers, but it is being used entirely for Netanyahu’s personal campaign, or more precisely, his public struggle against the indictments during the campaign.

Earlier this month, a big, expensive billboard overlooking the Ayalon Expressway featured Netanyahu, along with President Donald Trump. The slogan read, “Netanyahu is a whole different league.” Even the traditional campaign launch, in which Netanyahu brings the party’s candidates on stage, has been postponed and will not likely be held. One explanation is that Netanyahu is unwilling to shake hands with Gideon Saar, his mortal enemy and former minister. A more likely explanation is that he sees the event as a waste of precious time.