His wife is also very unpopular. Israelis hold their noses to vote for Netanyahu because the alternatives are far worse. And they are loyal to Likud (party.)
Snake pit of politics now is that only the most ambitious and crooked people are motevated enough to run for office.
Bibi is beset by the same sort of Lawfare we saw with DJT. he says he hopes a pardon will ease the divisions rife within Israel - but the opposition will never stop. they haven’t been able to win elections so they create chaos and roadblocks as a strategy. a very debilitating and unattractive and unproductive virus our democracies have produced.