The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should have been forced out of office a long time ago. Over his many years in office, he has moved Israel to the far right. Furthermore, he is corrupt. Let’s just mention one of the accusations against the prime minister. In the so-called “Case 2000”, he is accused of offering to Arnon Mozes, the publisher of the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth a quid pro quo agreement. In the conversation between Netanyahu and Moses, recorded in 2009, the Israeli prime minister was ready to advance legislation to curb the circulation of the freebie newspaper Israel Hayom (controlled by the Netanyahu supporter, US billionaire Sheldon Adelson), Yedioth Ahronoth’s main rival. In return, Yedioth Ahronoth would be softer, more favorable in its reporting on Netanyahu. Although this deal was never implemented, this conversation alone should have ended the career of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Recently, in Austria, the infamous “Ibiza video” sank the career of the right-wing leader Christian Strache. It has not been decided yet whether the statements in the “Ibiza video” will have any legal consequences. However, the moral pressure for him to be dropped like a hot potato was too strong. Nothing of the sort happened in Israel with Netanyahu.
In the September 2019 Israeli legislative election, the Blue and White party led by Benny Gantz finished on top with 25.95% and 33 seats in the 120-member Knesset. Netanyahu and his Likud party ended up as a close second with 25.10% and 32 seats.
However, on September 25, the Israeli President Reuven Rivlin offered Netanjahu the chance to form a government first because parties supporting him represented one member of parliament more than the parties in possible support of Gantz. But no camp could count on a majority in parliament.
On October 22, Netanyahu had to inform the Israeli president that he was unable form a coalition government. The following day, Reuven Rivlin offered opposition leader Benny Gantz the chance to form a government. He chances of success are limited too.
A coalition between Blue and White and the Likud party is possible if Netanyahu does not stand in the way. However, until now, the leaders of Netanyahu’s ousted coalition still stand behind “Bibi”. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who is looking into several of the prime minister’s corruption scandals, could break the deadlock by finally deciding to indict Netanyahu. In such a case, “Bibi” could be dropped by his coalition partners. Until now, Netanyahu’s supporters don’t care about favors, fraud, breach of trust, bribery and corruption by Benjamin Netanyahu.
The ultimate irony is that the man, who forced a second election in 2019, Avigdor Liberman, is himself a shady figure with a close Netanyahu association. Why he never got jailed not only remains a mistery to some observers, but also to the retired head of the economic crimes department in the state prosecutor’s office, Avia Alef, who even wrote a book in Hebrew about it in 2015 (translation of the title: The Avigdor Liberman Case).
It is time for Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit to show the Israeli public that you cannot get away with (almost) anything. Several other leading politicians ended up in jail before. Why does it take so long in the case of Netanyahu? Even, if by some misterious reasons, “Bibi” should not end up behind bars, moral pressure should force him out of office now.
P.S. I once came very close to Netanyahu at the London Connaught hotel.
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The photo on this page shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photograph: US State Department. This photo is in the public domain.
Article added on November 2, 2019 at 14:29 German time.
