Bibi, or not Bibi? Netanyahu plots his comeback

Bethan McKernan and Quique Kierszenbaum

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Benjamin Netanyahu made his final address to the Knesset as prime minister on 13 June last year. In a proud and bitter half-hour speech, he recounted his successes during 12 years in power and warned of existential threats facing Israel under the incoming coalition. He also stressed that his conservative Likud party would be back in office soon.

"I will lead you in a daily battle against this bad, dangerous, leftwing government to topple it," Netanyahu cried, amid heckling and jeers from the plenum. "With God's help, that will happen much sooner than you think."

Just one year later, the corruption scandal-plagued former leader could be about to achieve exactly that.

The ambitious experiment in Israeli governance - a coalition of eight parties that overcame significant ideological differences in banding together to oust Netanyahu and end years of political deadlock - is struggling to function.

An agreement to focus on areas of common ground and avoid divisive issues such as the occupation of the Palestinian territories has come unstuck. A defection in April destroyed its narrow majority and, almost every week, the prime minister, Naftali Bennett, finds himself pressuring other wavering elements of the coalition not to torpedo important bills or sink his fragile government.