Benjamin Netanyahu’s endurance as Prime Minister is matched only by his mystique: what lies behind his grip on Israeli society? How did he climb to the top, and what is the price of his long stay at the summit? Anshel Pfeffer, of Haaretz and the Economist, has a new biography of Netanyahu following his strange brew of intellect and populism, poor taste and fine legal lines, fierce family loyalty and shameless political-self-promotion.

This episode of the Tel Aviv Review was made possible by The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, which promotes humanistic, democratic, and liberal values in the social discourse in Israel.