One of the great mysteries of Israeli politics is how the country reached the point at which there is no obvious alternative to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. How is it that none of the people running against him are deemed capable of taking on one of the most sensitive, precarious jobs in the world, prime minister of Israel?

Israel’s political history is marked by decades of rivalry between leaders, claimants to the throne, political “princes” and legendary figures competing for the top leadership position, ever since the country’s founder David Ben-Gurion retired from office. The Labor Party produced Moshe Sharett, Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir, Moshe Dayan, Yigal Allon, Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Haim Ramon, Yossi Beilin and many others. The Likud offered Menachem Begin, followed by Yitzhak Shamir, David Levy, Ariel Sharon, Moshe Arens and many more. Netanyahu became a rising star in Israeli politics in 1988, when he returned home from his post as ambassador to the United Nations. Eight years later, he was elected prime minister. Ever since, Israeli politics has been thrashed. What was once an oasis brimming with outstanding individuals and talent has become an arid wasteland.

There are many reasons for this, all of which have been covered in countless articles. Chief among these is the anti-democratic “cooling off law” sponsored by Minister Yuval Steinitz on behalf of Netanyahu. The law forces military officers and other senior figures from the defense establishment to wait a four-year cooling-off period between leaving their posts and entering politics. What this actually does is prevent them from taking advantage of their popularity and their most productive years (they tend to retire from the military at 55) when they enter the political arena. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Mossad, Shin Bet and the defense establishment have long been Israel’s largest and most prominent leadership resource, producing a steady stream of popular and experienced generals with name recognition and leadership skills after each cycle. With the cooling-off law, this production line has been blocked.

Then there is Netanyahu himself. He has ensconced himself within a sophisticated system designed to wear down potential rivals. It serves as a firewall of sorts, which recognizes every potential threat at a very early stage and takes action to neutralize it. The best example is what happened to former Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi. Once regarded as the “great white hope” of Israel’s center-left camp, he has been forced to spend the last five years defending his reputation from a concerted legal and media assault. Though the case against Ashkenazi will soon be closed, he will not get those lost years back.