When the state comptroller wrote in 2015 that the government was neglecting the country’s housing crisis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ignored him. Instead, he took the opportunity to remind Israelis, “The greatest challenge in our lives is currently Iran’s bid to acquire nuclear weapons.” He then added a line that won him both derision and immortality: “When we talk about the price of housing, about the cost of living, I don’t forget life itself for a single moment.” In a takeoff on his iconic remark and in reference to the suspicions of corruption against him, one could imagine Netanyahu saying, “The leftists are talking about cigars and takeaway meals, but I, as leader of the Likud, never forget life itself.” Netanyahu has to ensure that such fear haunts Israel at all times, especially leading up to election day on April 9.
If he wants to keep his seat, Netanyahu must shift the election campaign’s focus away from his legal troubles. But what can he do when the stock market is too low, the cost of living too high and the price of housing dropping too slowly? How can he make headlines? No problem: There is always Iran.
