He seeks immunity from corruption charges that pursue him

Netanyahu is seeking the help of the "Arabs of Israel" to avoid a tragic end

Netanyahu bragged about his friendship with Trump.

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On one occasion, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, took advantage of the specter of the exit of Arab citizens, in Israel, to vote in large numbers, to intimidate his right-wing base and push them to cast their votes.

He is now courting those same Arab voters, who make up 17% of the Israeli electorate, in a desperate attempt to save his political future.

Arab Israeli political leaders were confused to see the prime minister campaign in Nazareth, the largest Arab city in the country, and obtain the approval of the mayor.

Riots

While Netanyahu's sudden appearance led to riots in the streets of the city, which is respected for being the birthplace of Jesus, the leader of one of the Arab political parties in the country hinted that he, too, might partner with Netanyahu.

After he has concluded peace treaties with Arab countries, the 71-year-old is trying to stick to his job, which, by the way, would give him immunity from three corruption indictments.

But Netanyahu's unlikely offer to Arab voters is only part of the chess game.

As the longest-serving politician in Israel, Netanyahu worked at several levels to prepare for the presidency of Joe Biden.

And if his opponents fail to topple him in the Israeli elections, on March 23, then Netanyahu has a clear agenda: to sharpen his legacy as a peacemaker with the Arab world - while marginalizing the Palestinians - neutralize Iran, maintain US support under Biden, and stay out of prison.

With Biden settling in the White House, Netanyahu must avoid returning from where he left off, in bitter confrontations with Barack Obama, when he was president.

Notable events included the speech Netanyahu gave before a joint meeting between the House of Representatives and the Senate to denounce the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. At a watershed moment the following year, Obama rejected Israel's appeals and worked to pass a resolution condemning settlement building in the West Bank, in the Security Council.

Electoral enthusiasm

As support grows at his campaign rallies, his enthusiastic followers will enthusiastically chant his name, as supporters of former US President Donald Trump chanted his name, before storming the US Capitol.

Face to face with his less shrewd rivals, such as Gideon Sarr from the New Hope Party, Naftali Bennett from "Yamina", and Yair Lapid;

Netanyahu will swing out.

Netanyahu is pledging to pump billions into Arab schools and hospitals, which have long been neglected, and to strengthen the police presence, to stem the wave of crime in Arab cities.

The fight against the "Covid-19" pandemic, by vaccinating the population faster than any other country, was an attempt by the prime minister to stay in power.

During the election campaign, Netanyahu will focus on his new agreements in the Middle East, including ending the Arab boycott of Israel, as evidence of his unparalleled diplomatic skills.

Riyadh Al-Khoury, an expert on political risks for the Middle East region at Geo Economics, based in Amman, said that "Netanyahu's maneuvers, including finally winning over Arab voters, in Nazareth, prove once again that he is a tactical expert."

Stoking fears

While it is unlikely that Netanyahu will prevent Biden from joining the Iran nuclear deal, following Trump's withdrawal from it, he will use the debate to stoke Israeli concerns about Tehran and mobilize his electorate.

His strong condemnation of the agreement before the US Congress raised admiration, and he established the subsequent coalition because of the common positions of Arab countries towards Iran.

Netanyahu will resist being drawn into the permanent quagmire with the Palestinians, whose plight is no longer a significant factor for the Israeli electorate.

But the Palestinians, too, are planning to hold elections in the coming months - the first since 2009 - with expectations that the sympathetic US administration will, in the end, try to help them establish an independent state.

While the new US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, has indicated that the Biden administration will have other priorities, in its first year, past experience has shown that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has some way to be included in the White House agenda.

And in four elections over the past two years, Netanyahu has confused opinion polls, defeated opponents, and asserted his gains in Jerusalem.

And after it has been portrayed for decades as a nightmare for Israeli Arabs, how ironic it would be if Netanyahu avoided the end of his friend Trump, only, with the help of Israeli Arabs.

Friendliness attempts

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing his best to win over the new US administration, after he boasted, in his previous campaign, of his close alliance with former President Donald Trump.

And last year, Likud put up huge billboards, in Jerusalem, of the two men shaking hands.

However, attendance in Nazareth is not intended, solely, to win votes.

Tactically, Netanyahu is also trying to show Joe Biden and Arab leaders that he is sensitive to Arab concerns (in Israel).

To this end, he promises to pump billions into Arab schools and hospitals, which he has long neglected, and to strengthen the police presence in the Galilee, to stem the wave of widespread crime in Arab cities.

Netanyahu has also temporarily halted plans to annex about 30% of the West Bank, a promise he made when signing recent peace treaties.

But that would not enable him to win in a tumultuous political arena, in Israel, where the dominant Labor Party, and other center-left parties, had once disappeared.

Once Biden calms down, Netanyahu will set out to reassure his hard-line Likud base and smaller ideological parties he needs to build a governing coalition.

Only with them, and perhaps by adding one or two seats to the Arab parties, will the Israeli prime minister be able to remain in office, preserve his influence and escape from justice.

Jonathan Verziger is a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former Bloomberg News correspondent on the Middle East.

After Biden settled in the White House, Netanyahu must avoid returning from where he left off, in bitter confrontations with Barack Obama, when he was president.

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