The story from Israel in recent years has been a variation on a set of interwoven themes: inconclusive elections, unstable coalitions and a prime minister facing a corruption trial.
And the pattern set by those themes has repeated: political chaos appears imminent, with Benjamin Netanyahu about to be outdone by his opponents — followed by a manoeuvre that blindsides those who have written him off.
Whatever one’s view of his politics, purely as a political strategist Mr Netanyahu is in a different league to his peers. He sees twenty moves ahead when even his most able rivals can plan for just two or three.
But the necessarily heavy focus on his domestic struggles has obscured his genius for geopolitical strategy. For almost any other Israeli leader, the security threat posed by the Iran nuclear deal would have marked a disastrous failure.
