I won’t try to resolve the question of to what extent a leader determines or reflects historical trends, but Mr. Netanyahu is clearly more a creature of his era than he is a revolutionary. He was not the one to move Israel’s political landscape rightward — circumstances, especially waves of terrorism, did that. He had little control over the Middle East’s recent turmoil, like the Arab Spring or the war in Syria, and those issues dictate Israel’s policies much more than the prime minister does. He was elected after Mr. Obama became America’s president and thus had to face an administration that left him with little room for maneuver.

Under such circumstances, Mr. Netanyahu reached the responsible conclusion that Israel’s best option is to build its economic and military strength while avoiding risks. That’s not exactly an electrifying dream, but it’s one that most Israelis thought was grounded in reality when they put him in the prime minister’s office in 2009 (he had already served three years in the job in the late 1990s).

He won’t be around forever, and the current barrage of investigations is a reminder of that. If it’s not this latest accusation, maybe it will be the next. Or, more likely, at some point other politicians around him will become convinced that he is finally vulnerable and jump on the opportunity to advance their own ambitions.

What happens when Mr. Netanyahu goes? Maybe, in the end, not that much.

A major ideological shift is not on the horizon. According to polls, the public would vote for basically the same right-wing coalition if elections were held today. Considering regional realities, Israel is unlikely suddenly to alter its core national security policies. The economy is solid, so there is little need for major change there, either. When Mr. Netanyahu goes, Israel will lose some things and gain others. It will lose stability, experience, a steady hand — it will gain a fresh start and, possibly, less bickering for a while.

Why it would be beneficial for the prime minister if all Israelis believe that his departure will be a seminal event is clear. It is both a matter of ego and of political survival. “They don’t want to just take me down, they want to take us all down,” he told the crowd of supporters at the rally near my house.

Of course, for Mr. Netanyahu, the end of his time in office will be a seismic moment in his long and distinguished career. That his loyal voters — or fierce opponents — would fall for such a narrative is puzzling, though. He has authority and charisma, and he casts a long shadow over Israel’s politics. But his departure will bring about neither devastation nor salvation.