NETANYAHU VS BENNETT: THE STRUGGLE FOR INFLUENCE IN ABU DHABI
📌 OPENING – THE ARAB WORLD'S MOST CAREFUL READERS The Middle East has spent decades studying Israel. Its intelligence agencies know the names of every minister. Its diplomats track every coalition negotiation. Its analysts read Israeli newspapers before breakfast. So when Israel erupted into yet another round of political chaos in 2025 and 2026 — with Netanyahu fighting for survival, Bennett positioning himself as the alternative, and no stable majority in sight — the Arab world did not look away. They leaned in. Because they understood something that many Israeli pundits ignored: Who leads Israel determines not only Israeli policy, but also how the Arab world engages with the Jewish state. For the UAE, the contrast between Netanyahu and Bennett could not be starker. Netanyahu is transactional, unpredictable, and self-interested. Bennett — whatever one thinks of his ideology — has proven to be professional, discreet, and reliable. And in the diplomatic freeze that followed Netanya...