JERUSALEM (VINnews) — For the fifth time, TIME magazine named Prime Minister Netanyahu among the most influential people of 2026, but did not gloss over his failings and the negative repercussions of his actions since October 7.

The magazine hailed his “political comeback” since the “worst security failure in his country’s history” on Oct. 7, stating that it may have exceeded that of Trump. It added that “Israel’s devastation of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, its crippling strikes alongside the U.S. on Iran’s nuclear program in the 12-Day War, and the eventual extraction of all remaining hostages from Gaza have boosted his [Netanyahu’s] standing with the Israeli public.”

Yet the magazine stressed that Israel’s military successes have not come without a price, and criticized the endemic wars in the region. “This same legacy may also poison international attitudes toward his country. The staggering human toll in Gaza, ongoing settlement expansion, another incursion into Lebanon, and a darkening war with Iran eroded support among younger Americans—even as Washington remains Israel’s indispensable security partner.”

The magazine still sees him as the most influential politician in Israel but concludes that “Netanyahu has yet to resolve the tension at the center of his comeback: the actions that saved him politically will also define—and complicate—his legacy.”