“The trial will last ten years”: how charges against Netanyahu can affect the situation in Israel

The Israeli Prosecutor General’s Office has filed charges of corruption with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The head of state is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

The decision to make official charges the day before was announced by the country's prosecutor general Avihai Mandelblit.

Netanyahu is accused of three cases. In one case, according to the investigation, the prime minister received gifts, including cigarettes and champagne (worth about $ 280 thousand) in exchange for help in resolving a number of issues.

One of these philanthropists of the premiere was the American producer Aaron Milchen. Netanyahu previously actively promoted the "Milchen law", which would allow the Israelis returning to the country for 10 years not to pay taxes in Israel. However, this bill failed.

Two other cases are related to the media. In one case, Netanyahu allegedly promised to help the leadership of the national daily Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth in exchange for covering the government’s activities in a positive way. Another prime minister is charged with lobbying for the interests of the Bezek telecommunications network in exchange for a favorable coverage of the prime minister’s activities on the Walla! Internet portal.

The Bezek case is considered the most serious, since it is on him that the prime minister is accused of bribery, fraud and deception of public trust. In two other cases, they have been charged only with bribery and deception of public trust.

• Israeli Prosecutor General Avihai Mandelblit
• Reuters
• © Ammar Awad

It is worth noting that this is the first official accusation of corruption by the incumbent prime minister in Israeli history. Earlier on the same charge, ex-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert served a 16-month prison term. However, charges were brought against him after he announced his resignation.

The enemy from the "depths"

Netanyahu himself rejects all the charges against him.

“This is an attempt at a coup d'etat through falsifications, as well as a vicious and biased investigation,” the Israeli prime minister said in a television statement. “I will continue to rule the country, guided by the letter of the law, with responsibility, devotion and concern for the future of each of us.”

However, the Kahol-Lavan bloc of Netanyahu’s main political rival, General Benny Ganz, recalled that when Olmert found himself in a similar situation, Netanyahu's current Prime Minister demanded his resignation.

"ראש ממשלה ששקוע עד צוואר בחקירות, אין לו מנדט מוסרי וציבורי לקבוע דברים כל כך גורליים למדינת ישראל. כי קיים חשש, אני חייב להגיד, אמיתי ולא בלתי מבוסס, שהוא יכריע הכרעות על בסיס האינטרס האישי של ההישרדות הפוליטית שלו, ולא על בסיס האינטרס הלאומי ". pic.twitter.com/vFYq8RHy0a

In turn, the leader of the left-wing Meretz party, Nitzan Horowitz, said the prime minister could no longer remain in office for a day. Amir Peretz, the leader of the other opposition Avoda party, stressed that he will seek the removal of Netanyahu through court.

However, the leadership of the ultra-orthodox Shas party and the leader of the New Right Party, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett supported the Prime Minister.

Recall that the charges against Benjamin Netanyahu have been put forward for a long time. In 2017-2018, the prime minister was interrogated 12 times at his residence in Jerusalem. In December 2018, Israeli police recommended that he be charged with corruption in the Bezek case. Prior to this, police investigations in two other criminal cases were actively discussed, on Thursday, November 21, the prosecutor general brought charges against Netanyahu.

However, as Israeli political analyst Avigdor Eskin stated in a conversation with RT, the charges against “Netanyahu” are “the legal base is very weak.”

“In Israel there existed and exists the old managerial elite, which is conditionally called the“ deep state ”. This old managerial elite was initially unkind to Netanyahu, as was the Israeli liberal press. The situation is very similar to what is happening with Trump in the USA, ”Eskin said in an interview with RT.

The similarities of the problems that Trump and Netanyahu faced were also noted by supporters and opponents of the American president in the United States itself. So, one of the presidential candidates from the Democratic Party, Elizabeth Warren, said that both Netanyahu and Trump are doing everything to stay in power and enrich themselves.

Netanyahu is accused of accepting bribes, trading government favors, and manipulating a free press. Like his pal Donald Trump, he'll stop at nothing to enrich himself and stay in power. This blatant corruption has no place in any democracy — I'll fight it at home and abroad. https://t.co/1jSCpoUQ3S

In turn, radio presenter Mark Levin, close to the Republicans, supporting Trump, defended Netanyahu, saying that the Israeli press is even worse than the American one.

No, do NOT step down, Prime Minister Netanyahu. I've carefully reviewed these charges and they're outrageous. This is an assault on freedom of the press and the investigation was corrupt. And your media is ever worse than ours. https://t.co/xxjlKsDhjB

As a senior research fellow at MGIMO Yuri Zinin noted in an interview with RT, it is possible that the charges against Netanyahu are “related to election conflicts”.

“There is a crisis in Israel - they cannot create a coalition government in any way, and we are talking about the next election. It is possible that Netanyahu’s rivals will now strive to do everything so that he cannot create a coalition, ”Zinin suggested.

Legal delays

As the Israeli newspaper Haaretz notes, Netanyahu is now in a rather unique legal position. By law, the Israeli prime minister does not have automatic immunity from criminal prosecution. This issue should be decided by the Knesset.

• Israeli Knesset meeting
• Reuters
• © Ronen Zvulun

If Netanyahu asks the parliament to grant him such immunity, he must do so within 30 days after the indictment. Otherwise, the criminal process will begin.

It would be common practice if a request for immunity was received, it would be discussed in the Knesset Commission, after which the matter would be put to the vote of the entire parliament. However, after the last elections in September 2019, a new composition of this commission could not be formed.

This means, says Haaretz, that there will be no one to consider Netanyahu’s request, which means that the investigation of the prime minister’s case in court will be postponed indefinitely.

Now, to remedy this situation, deputies from the Avoda-Gesher alliance have appealed to the Knesset legal adviser Eyal Inon with a request to create a commission that would be authorized to consider the issue of Netanyahu's immunity.

Also, the procedures for the Israeli prime minister can be postponed by early elections, which experts consider the most likely outcome of the current government crisis in Israel.

After the September 17 elections, the Likud party of Benjamin Netanyahu won 32 seats in parliament. Kahol-Lavan - 33. None of these political forces managed to form a government in two months. On Thursday, November 20, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin suggested that any Knesset deputy try to form a government over the next three weeks.

If, in this case, a coalition is not created, voters will be forced to go to the polling stations a third time.

Recall that the parliamentary elections in September were already the second in 2019. Their conduct was compelled, since after the early elections in April, the same Netanyahu and Ganz could not form a cabinet.

According to The Times of Israel journalist Rafael Ahren, months may elapse between the prosecutor general’s statement about the charges against Netanyahu and the transfer of the case to court. Due to the political crisis and the very likely third election, the start of the trial of Netanyahu may be postponed to April-May next year.

However, local national law experts interviewed by the Israeli media note that due to the uniqueness of the current political situation, the Prosecutor General may try to transfer charges against Netanyahu to court without waiting for a parliamentary verdict.

According to Avigdor Eskin, the accusations against Netanyahu only rally his supporters - on Friday they already took to the streets with the support of their idol.

“The outrage at this accusation is so wide that Netanyahu will win a landslide victory in the next election,” Eskin said. - And you need to understand that in Israel such a court will last ten years, at least. Even if it is not possible to somehow suspend this process, it is still a question of a certain procedure that can be delayed for a dozen years. During this time, Netanyahu will have time to win the election more than once and will continue to lead Israel. ”

According to Yuri Zinin, the Israeli Prime Minister, who “did not commit serious failures,” has serious chances to remain in power.

“In addition, he feels Trump’s support. Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and recognized the Golan Heights as Israel during Netanyahu’s premiership. All this plays into his hands, ”says the political scientist.

“The danger has increased”

Palestinians and Israeli Arabs reacted to the prosecutor’s decision to bring charges against Netanyahu. So, the representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization Vasel Abu Yousef said that for many years Netanyahu sought to avoid this result, "unleashing wars against the Palestinian people" in order to increase its popularity, reports Reuters.

According to the Israeli Russian-language news portal MIGNEWS, representatives of the Knesset of the United Arab List party also said that in the past, Netanyahu incited violence against Arabs to avoid justice.

“The danger he poses has only increased,” Israeli reporters quoted representatives of the Arab party as saying that Netanyahu could well unleash a war to avoid jail.

The government crisis and the charges against Netanyahu really coincided with another military escalation. On the night of November 20, Israel launched airstrikes on Syrian territory.

According to Avigdor Eskin, in fact, the charges against Netanyahu will not affect international relations in the Middle East region.

“This will not affect the situation in the Middle East, nor the friendly spirit of relations between Israel and Russia,” the Israeli expert said.

In turn, a senior researcher at the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Konstantin Truevtsev said in an interview with RT that the danger of a new military conflict in the Middle East with the participation of Israel is great, but this is connected not only with Netanyahu’s policy.

• Demonstration of supporters of Netanyahu in Jerusalem
• Reuters
• © Ronen Zvulun

“The thing smells of war, regardless of Netanyahu’s desire. Near Lebanon, and in Lebanon, Hezbollah dominates, which is hostile. In addition, in the Gaza Strip, in addition to the Hamas Palestinian group, the position of Islamic Jihad is also strengthening. Most recently, this Palestinian group fired on Israel, - said Konstantin Truevtsev RT. - Of course, Netanyahu is extremely interested in remaining the prime minister, and everyone knows that he is an Israeli hawk. But whether relations between Israel and the Arabs reach a boiling point depends not only on him. ”