Bibi, We Love You…But It’s Time

We are now at the beginning of 2026 and sometime within the coming ten months Israel will go to elections. The various parties will go through whatever processes they have established, or perhaps yet change, to choose their lists. Those will be the choices that will be presented to us when we enter the voting booth later this year.

Regardless of who ends up on the ballot, and for whom any of us will cast our vote, whatever political stream we identify with, the nation of Israel should make a logical, timely and respectful decision that Benjamin Netanyahu should not be an option.

I write this without venom, without prejudice and without anger. Truth be told if we look past our personal feelings about the prime minister, one has to be in awe of his achievements whether or not we agree with all of his decisions.

His record of service to the State of Israel and the people of Israel is awesome:

1967-1973                 IDF Captain, Sayeret Matkal

1982-1984                 Deputy Chief of Mission, Israeli Embassy, Washington

1984-1988                 Ambassador to the United Nations

1993-1996                 Leader of the Opposition

1996-1999                 Prime Minister

2003-2005                 Minister of Finance

2005-present            Likud Party Chairperson

2006-2009                 Leader of the Opposition

2009-2021                 Prime Minister

2021-2022                 Leader of the Opposition

2022-present            Prime Minister

There is probably no one else living in Israel today who can match this level of achievement in public service.

For all of this we need to be grateful and appreciative, whether or not we agree with specific decisions he has made in his career.

I remember once during his term as Prime Minister from 1996-1999, my company was a MARCOM contractor to Israel’s Ministry of Trade & Industry, when we received a call from Forbes magazine. They want to go one-on-one with the Prime Minister and, of course, he was only too eager to accept. I was fortunate enough to be in the room during the interview in his office at the Kiryah along with the editor of the Jerusalem Post and one or two others. I remember coming home and remarking that Bibi should be the finance minister as his grasp of economics was awesome. And it still is today.

Yet, there comes a time in everyone’s political career when enough is enough and room needs to be made for new leadership to take over. Bibi, who is 76 years old and has been prime minister for 18 of the last 30 years, needs to retire from politics and give others an opportunity to lead.

This is not personal animosity on my part. He has given yeoman service to the country and deserves to be recognized for that. Nevertheless, no functioning democracy should be led by the same person for 18 years. While Israel has never agreed to create term limits for elected officials, logic would dictate that the longer someone stays in office the higher the probability that corruption and graft will develop while simultaneously the democratic process itself will be put at risk.

In addition, serving for that long supports the myth that “there is no one else who can lead.” We hear that all the time in Israel. Yet we know there are hundreds if not thousands of intelligent, creative and successful men and women here who are worthy of consideration. The current war, now over 800 days long, has shown us that we have some highly qualified managers and strategists who, if given the opportunity to lead will rise to the occasion. Bibi owes them that opportunity and so do we.

The syndicated advice columnist, the late Ann Landers said: “Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.”

Bibi, Israel needs you to show that strength and, painful as it may be for you, it is time to move on for the good and welfare of the people and the State of Israel. All of us will be better for it if you do so and our gratitude for your service will show no bounds. Take the win!!!