How Benjamin Netanyahu reshaped Israel’s institutions

What the report says

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is seeking re-election as the country heads to the polls on October 27, according to Al Jazeera. The report says his long political career has helped push Israeli politics and state institutions further to the right, while also deepening divisions over religion, security and the role of the judiciary.

Al Jazeera reports that Netanyahu rose to prominence in the early 1990s by opposing peace efforts with the Palestinians and Syria, and later became prime minister in 1996. Over time, it says, he strengthened the influence of right-wing and religious parties in governing coalitions and expanded the role of religious courts and funding for ultra-Orthodox institutions. The article also highlights the 2018 Nation-State Basic Law, which defined Israel as the exclusive state of the Jewish people and made settlement expansion a national priority.

The piece says Netanyahu also reshaped parts of the security and justice systems by appointing loyalists and backing changes that increased political influence over judicial appointments. His critics argue that his push to curb the courts weakened checks on government power and helped trigger large protests. Al Jazeera notes that Netanyahu is also facing long-running corruption cases and has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

The article argues that his legacy may be hardest to reverse because many of the changes were written into law and have changed how Israeli institutions operate. It presents Netanyahu’s record as central to understanding both today’s election and the broader direction of Israeli politics.