Israeli Prime Minister's 'Double War'

Continuous waves

Three elections in less than a year and a showdown with a popular former military chief, Benny Gantz, have failed to unseat Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But one factor could threaten his career as Israel’s longest-serving prime minister: his trial on corruption charges – one of the country’s “highest crimes”.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the first trial on May 24, 2020. Photo: Times of Israel

On Sunday afternoon (May 24), a few hours after chairing a meeting with his new cabinet, Netanyahu left his office in Jerusalem, walked a short distance to a courthouse in East Jerusalem and sat in a very different chair: the hard wooden chair reserved for a criminal defendant. A case against the sitting prime minister has thrust him and Israel into an unprecedented situation.

In international politics, few leaders since Charles I of England have faced criminal charges. Netanyahu, breaking with tradition by not resigning to defend himself, became the first sitting Israeli prime minister to face trial. His predecessor, Ehud Olmert, was convicted of bribery and sentenced to 16 years in prison six years ago, but after he had resigned.

Now, Netanyahu has no choice but to fight to the end and also to avoid the fate of his predecessor. The 70-year-old prime minister is charged with bribery, breach of trust and fraud. According to prosecutors, he is accused of accepting cigars, champagne and jewelry from various tycoons worth up to 180,000 euros in exchange for promises of help. He also gave favors to the media in exchange for positive coverage. He denies all the charges, calling them “fabricated and ridiculous” and a political “witch hunt” aimed at bringing him down.

The trial is expected to last a year or more. After Sunday’s hearing, which lasted about an hour, it was unclear when the next hearing would begin, as Netanyahu’s defense team requested more time to review the evidence before proceeding. Facing a criminal trial is a long-term battle, and Netanyahu will need to take a risky strategy if he wants to stay in power.

Supporters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wave flags and signs just before Netanyahu's trial begins. Photo: Reuters

However, in any scenario, Mr. Netanyahu's political journey is still very difficult. He has just gone through a long period of fighting to keep the Prime Minister's seat, but the result is quite fragile. According to the power-sharing agreement, Mr. Netanyahu will hold the position of Prime Minister for 18 months, then transfer it to Mr. Benny Gantz. For his part, Mr. Gantz will hold the position of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense in Mr. Netanyahu's government.

During his tenure as Prime Minister, Mr. Netanyahu has the opportunity to "change his ways" if he runs for President in May 2021. If elected president, Mr. Netanyahu will have 7 more years of immunity. However, analysts say that Benny Gantz's Blue and White party will find it difficult to let Mr. Netanyahu's calculations go. Not to mention that during his 18 months in office, if Mr. Netanyahu wins the trial, he will likely continue his political career, but if convicted, of course all political glory will be erased and he will face many years in prison.

Israeli politics still not calm?

For Israel, putting its most powerful man on trial appears to send a message of fairness and transparency in government institutions. “It is a sign of strength,” said one Israeli political analyst. But other observers say Netanyahu’s decision not to resign while under investigation, as his predecessors Yitzhak Rabin and Ehud Olmert did, will hurt the country’s image and could be a “weakness” if the trials drag on too long.

And here are those who oppose Mr. Netanyahu. Photo: AFP

Objectively speaking, Israel is currently facing a series of both emerging and long-term challenges such as economic downturn, rising unemployment, and the Covid-19 pandemic, so the trial of Mr. Netanyahu could cause the country's hot issues to stagnate, along with doubts. Because according to Israeli law, the Prime Minister is not required to resign or be suspended from office during the trial, he will face a "conflict of interest" situation because he is both the Prime Minister, and therefore responsible for many important decisions, and is also accused of opposing government institutions. This means that this leader is both in the position of leading the Government and in the position of weakening the Government. The question that people want to answer is whether his decisions are really for the benefit of the country or not?

Following his trial on April 24, the divide in Israeli opinion was evident as thousands gathered to call for his support and described him as “clean” while thousands more took to the streets to accuse him of “holding the country hostage”.

Under the power-sharing deal, Mr Netanyahu will continue to serve as Prime Minister for 18 months before transferring power to his partner, Mr Gantz. Photo: Getty

Not to mention the "undercurrents" that are still boiling in Israeli politics. Many people do not really trust a government that they consider "huge" like today. They think that Israel is a small country, but has the largest government in the world with 32-36 ministers and 2 Prime Ministers. Such a cumbersome apparatus is not meant to run the country, especially when Israel is struggling to deal with the severe economic consequences caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, but the main purpose is to divide seats among factions, increasing costs for the budget.

Not everyone in Prime Minister Netanyahu's Likud party or Benny Gantz's Blue and White bloc is satisfied with the agreement to form the Netanyahu - Gantz government. The lack of trust can trigger many problems, conflicts, and even unpredictable scenarios for Israeli politics in the future. And the fact that Prime Minister Netanyahu has to officially appear in court further increases the "unknowns" of instability!