When he first assumed the prime minister’s office in 1996, Netanyahu had a dream: to establish a White House in Jerusalem. In his worldview and essence, Netanyahu is more an American politician than an Israeli one. He despises the Israeli governmental system, which he feels ties the hands of the elected leader and leaves him at the mercy of nonelected functionaries and the entire governmental apparatus. Netanyahu’s ideal model is that of the American presidential system, in which the president enjoys a guaranteed four-year term of office and sweeping powers to boot.
In his first term of office, Netanyahu tried to call the director of his office his “chief of staff” and aspired to change the system of government. His efforts crashed when the inexperienced Netanyahu succeeded in antagonizing the entire political system and lost an early election to Ehud Barak with a wide margin.
