Because Israel is everyone's convenient bogeyman, it cannot form permanent alliances with any of its neighbors and as a consequence, it cannot gang up against another state.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Israel the strong horse

For he also says that if the next parliament tries to gang up against him and the NSC, he will be forced to choose between resigning or sacking the parliament.

ECONOMIST: The general orders | The

The scandal, which broke in late 2011, caused both the judiciary and the military to menacingly gang up on the civilian government but dissipated when some of the ensuing criticism started to turn against these two institutions.

BBC: Tahirul Qadri - Pakistan's latest political 'drone'?