Rocket sirens started wailing in the south of Israel on Sept. 10 while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was speaking at a rally in the city of Ashdod. Netanyahu was recorded following his security detail off the stage as soon as the sirens sounded.

The footage, broadcast live on Facebook, vanished minutes after it went up, but it will likely follow the prime minister until the election is over next week on Sept. 17. In this age of social media, not even the fastest-acting spokesperson could erase the images that became the basis of viral videos produced and posted by his political opponents. One week before this eventful election, Mr. Security himself took a serious hit live on the air. He came under attack by a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza, the kind of electoral blow not even an experienced campaigner could have foreseen. Though Netanyahu went back to finish his speech and was even received with loud cheers, the incident put a damper on the whole event.

Nevertheless, what happened may not actually harm Netanyahu. The prime minister’s humiliation by Hamas and the way his political rivals have been using it against him are evoking all sorts of emotions in the Likud and rallying his supporters around him. In general, security incidents in an election campaign tend to strengthen the right, so it is fairly safe to say that the center-left parties will not benefit from what happened. On the other hand, they did get an opportunity to embarrass Netanyahu, and they milked it for everything it was worth. The Blue and White Party was quick to release a video of former Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, who was also appearing at a rally in the south of Israel when the rockets were fired. Unlike Netanyahu, Ashkenazi continued with his speech, declaring, “We are not afraid! I am not afraid of Hamas or Hezbollah. That is the answer.” The fact that Ashkenazi has no security detail so was not forced to listen to instructions from the Shin Bet to evacuate the site was ignored in the heat of the evening’s political squabbling.

Netanyahu's Ashdod appearance followed his press conference that afternoon at which he promised to annex the Jordan Valley and the northern shore of the Dead Sea. His spokespeople had announced in the morning that Netanyahu would be making a dramatic statement, leaving press and politicians alike to spend the next few hours guessing and offering assessments. Pundits sat in television studios, waiting for the drama to unfold. There may not have been any real drama, but once again Netanyahu managed to divert attention from his criminal cases. In the end, he sold his listeners a promise without the backing of an American message, even though his remarks were coordinated with the White House well in advance. All the senior members of the Likud were invited to the press conference. When it was over, they were quick to release supportive statements of their own and congratulate Netanyahu on his achievement, presenting a united front.