Is the Israeli growth in GDP in recent years due directly to the free market capitalism introduced by Bibi Netanyahu as prime minister, to replace the prior high-tax socialist regime?

This is not a self-serving exaggeration for political purposes as you fear, given that he is once again running for Prime Minister in that country and is promoting his autobiography on his present book tour of the US. He is a straight shooter. Not that he is perfect, as no human being is, but he is not exaggerating his life and his achievements, nor this particular perspective in moving his nation towards a more traditional and conservative perspective to have things based on personal freedom and initiative. And his country has thrived with that framework because it is a country of doers with an entrepreneurial spirit, as they are used to taking care of themselves and have a close-knit feel and loyalty about their nation, given they are coming from the darkest of histories having been subjugated for thousands of years and are seeking to triumph. That is a wonderful motivation and a recognition of the basic reality of things, because their particular cultural history was the poster child for subjugation being done worldwide. They lived it quite intensely as a group with common ideology and heritage, and they know from bitter life experience how fragile freedom really is and that it needs care and feeding, and mostly a place where personal liberty is prized and viewed as contributing to the common good. It is far better than socialism where all, in effect, become a kind of slave to the state and lose individual identity and worth, personally, as they are interchangeable, more like numbers than human beings. As such, socialism is ultimately stultifying and limiting and will lead to stagnation, corruption, and destruction. And that is its purpose, to be a deceptive solution to helping people get assistance and help when they are coming from behind, but the lure of an even-handed sharing rather than raising up a nation, will reduce it to the lowest common denominator and eventually, all will share the life of the downtrodden and will be living in poverty in a mediocre existence. Netanyahu is being divinely guided to seek a better way and that is why his choices resonate with him, because they are in alignment with divine truth for the most part, and this has helped him be a force for good, more so than a negative influence on his country.