Suck up, grovel, it will pay off: How Netanyahu oils the machine

An opinion article claiming that Benjamin Netanyahu has given up on the legitimacy of the liberal public and is oiling a machine of worship through Likud slots for extreme and devoted individuals, analyzing the Likud list published two days ago.

An opinion article by the Walla editorial board claims that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has finally given up on the legitimacy of the liberal public in Israel and is oiling a machine of groveling and worship. The article analyzes the Likud list published two days ago (September 8, 2026) and argues that contrary to the narrative that Netanyahu sought statesmanlike slots, in practice extreme and devoted fringe figures were slotted. Examples include Itzik Bunzel, who lost his son in the war and spreads a betrayal theory against former Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and former Shin Bet head Ronen Bar; Almog Cohen, also a spreader of betrayal theory; attorney David Peter, described as a clone of Yariv Levin and Simcha Rothman; and Yaakov Bardugo, described as Netanyahu's media bodyguard. The article claims that Netanyahu and his wife Sara see themselves as eternal rulers demanding worship, and that this was reflected in Sara Netanyahu's interview on Channel 14, where she focused on her personal suffering. The conclusion: Netanyahu is deep in a spiral of personality cult and cannot tolerate criticism.