With a week to go before the Israeli election, Benjamin Netanyahu has rarely been in a weaker situation at home or a stronger situation overseas.

The Israeli prime minister is fighting the elections weighed down by a preliminary indictment for fraud, bribery and breach of trust. He is currently neck-and-neck in the polls, with the centre-left opposition led by Benny Gantz, a former head of the Israeli military. The campaign is also taking place against the backdrop of continuing unrest in the Gaza Strip.

But while the clouds are gathering at home for Mr Netanyahu, they are lifting overseas. Israel is benefiting from the rise of a new generation of nationalist-populist political leaders — from Washington to Delhi, and from Budapest to Brasília — who ardently admire the Jewish state. This change in the international political atmosphere has created new breathing space for a country that has long feared international isolation and trade boycotts.