( CNN ) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's recent speech to the U.S. Congress has received disproportionate media attention across the world : the leader of America 's most important client state in the Middle East defies the reservations of the White House , abusing Congress as a platform for his Israeli election campaign . Disregarding Israel 's already strained bilateral relations with the United States , Netanyahu readily risked the consequences of humiliating the Obama administration in exchange for less than an hour of political self-manifestation -- typical for a man who is domestically known to be not much of a statesman . Netanyahu is a charismatic speaker and a passionate Israel-advocate , however , his personal and political interests have always taken precedence over serving Israel 's national interests . Political survival has been the maxim of his domestic and foreign policies . Netanyahu joins a long list of Israeli politicians overwhelmed by the plurality and polarization of domestic public opinion . So far he has been just another Israeli leader seeking `` easy '' short-term answers to fundamentally strategic problems , thereby further protracting an already protracted conflict . As a puppet of ideological , conservative playmakers who whole-heartedly reject a two-state solution , Netanyahu has been held hostage by the likes of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Economy Minister Naftali Bennett who pursue a discriminatory policy of sectarian segregation intending to contain Palestinian public dissidence through mere coercion . Consequently , Netanyahu 's foreign policy vis-à-vis the peace process has been a disaster . He took over from Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni -- two politicians who at least believed in a two-state solution and were ready to make sacrifices to keep the peace process alive . Israeli leaders typically fall into two categories : those who believe in peace and those that have the power to make peace . Olmert was the former , and Netanyahu long seemed like he could become the latter . In reality , however , Netanyahu is neither . He has given in to a toxic form of Jewish nationalism , disregarded Israel 's relatively good regional position vis-à-vis its otherwise-occupied Arab neighbors ; he has continued to build settlements out of spite , thought of ever new preconditions for bilateral negotiations with the Palestinians and waged a ruthless war against Gaza without a clear strategic endgame -- a war that was lost militarily and in terms of international reputation . Apart from the tragic effects of Netanyahu 's policy on the peace process , his stubbornness has alienated allies in Europe and Washington . While the Arab world has been widely apathetic about the Israel-Palestinian issue amid regional disintegration , partners on both sides of the Atlantic have tried to facilitate the revitalization of constructive peace talks . Yet , Netanyahu chose to ignore external initiatives , retracting to a Jewish nationalist rhetoric founded on security paranoia , self-victimization and the illusion of Israeli autarky in security and defense . As a consequence , Israel 's foreign relations with its most important strategic partners have noticeably cooled . Obama 's Middle Eastern focus has shifted from the Israel/Palestinian issue to a rapprochement with Iran . European lawmakers are considering recognizing Palestinian statehood despite Israeli objections . More importantly , many traditionally pro-Israel Western publics have turned their back on the Jewish state . Younger generations in particular refuse to accept the narrative that shaped their parental generation : Israel as the David in a fight against Goliath . Israel 's monopoly on victimhood has been undermined by an inflexible , uncompromising short-minded policy towards a Palestinian people under occupation whose narrative of victimhood increasingly finds attentive ears in the West . At first sight , then , the prospect of four more years of Netanyahu , does not sound too promising -- at least in regards to the peace process . At a closer look , however , a continuation of Netanyahu 's policies might actually help the Palestinian cause . His implicit rejection of the two-state solution ; his prioritization of short-term security over sustainable security solutions ; his pursuit of a toxic Jewish nationalist agenda justifying an intensification of sectarianism between Israel and the Occupied Territories as well as within Israel , are all factors that will leave Israel increasingly isolated . His Israel-first narrative might win Netanyahu votes within a highly polarized electorate that in recent years has become more and more right-wing amid a top-down constructed climate of fear . Hamas ' and Hezbollah 's mid-tech missile capability , Syria 's socio-political disintegration and subsequent rise of Islamist non-state actors , have been used by the Netanyahu government to create an Arab bogyman ostensibly threatening the Jewish state 's very existence -- a new bogyman coexisting side-by-side with Netanyahu 's `` favorite '' bogeyman , Iran . Despite Netanyahu 's pre-occupation with security , the derailment of the peace process has not been much of a topic during the campaign so far . If Netanyahu receives another mandate on Tuesday , Israel will be further driven into the international offside , pressure from the West will increase and thereby the Palestinian cause will receive ever more attention and support from policymakers and publics across the world . Netanyahu has become somewhat of a villain in the West -- an untrustworthy , short-sighted politician who in comparison to his counterparts in Ramallah appears to lack the willingness to compromise , cooperate and empathize . Thus , while another term of Bibi will not be in the national interest of Israel , it will very likely serve the Palestinian interests .
Political survival has been maxim of Netanyahu 's domestic and foreign policies , says Andreas Krieg . Krieg : Netanyahu 's foreign policy vis-à-vis the peace process has been disaster . New term for Netanyahu will not be in national interest of Israel , it will serve Palestinian interests , Krieg adds .