Skip to footer

Trial underway: Five questions about Netanyahu's political fate

As Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial begins, he’s also – separately – at risk of losing his position as Israeli prime minister. After inconclusive national elections, Israel’s parliament is trying to form a governing coalition, and it’s not clear if he’ll be included.

|
Abir Sultan/AP
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial over alleged corruption, in East Jerusalem, April 5, 2021. Mr. Netanyahu still remains popular in Israel among his base, but rivals might oust him from the premiership.
  • By Maayan Lubell Reuters

| Jerusalem

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal and political troubles will play out simultaneously on Monday, at his corruption trial and in the president’s residence.

Judges ordered Mr. Netanyahu to be in court for the prosecution’s opening argument on three cases involving charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Meanwhile, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will begin talks over who should lead the next government after a fourth inconclusive national election on March 23.

Can Mr. Netanyahu remain prime minister while being tried?

Under Israeli law, a prime minister is under no obligation to stand down unless convicted. No other minister is protected in this way, so there are legal and political reasons why Mr. Netanyahu wants to stay at the top.

Mr. Netanyahu has pleaded not guilty. He contends he is the victim of a politically orchestrated “witch hunt” by the left and media to oust him, and that receiving gifts from friends is not against the law.

Could he go to jail?

Bribery charges carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years and/or a fine. Fraud and breach of trust are punishable by up to three years in jail. 

What’s it all about?

There are a couple of different cases prosecutors are putting forward.

In what is known as Case 4000, prosecutors allege Mr. Netanyahu granted regulatory favors worth around 1.8 billion shekels ($500 million) to Bezeq Telecom Israel.

In return, prosecutors say, he sought positive coverage of himself and his wife, Sara, on a news website controlled by the company’s former chairman, Shaul Elovitch.

Mr. Netanyahu has been charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Mr. Elovitch and his wife, Iris, have been charged with bribery and obstruction of justice. The couple deny wrongdoing.

In a second case, Case 1000, Mr. Netanyahu has been charged with fraud and breach of trust over allegations that he and his wife wrongfully received almost 700,000 shekels worth of gifts from Arnon Milchan, a Hollywood producer and an Israeli citizen, and Australian billionaire businessman James Packer.

Prosecutors said gifts included champagne and cigars and that Mr. Netanyahu helped Mr. Milchan with his business interests. Mr. Packer and Mr. Milchan face no charges.

In Case 2000, Mr. Netanyahu allegedly negotiated a deal with Arnon Mozes, owner of Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, for better coverage in return for legislation to slow the growth of a rival newspaper. Mr. Netanyahu has been charged with fraud and breach of trust. Mr. Mozes has been charged with offering a bribe, and denies wrongdoing.

Will a verdict come soon?

It’s unlikely. The trial could take years. But proceedings could be cut short if Mr. Netanyahu seeks a plea deal.

Do Israelis care about the issue?

Yes. The corruption case was a polarizing issue in recent elections.

Thousands of demonstrators have gathered weekly outside his official residence and across Israel under the banner of “Crime Minister,” demanding he quit.

But his right-wing voter base sees “King Bibi” as strong on security and an influential voice for Israel abroad.

Meanwhile, Israel is facing unprecedented political paralysis, an economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus, a new United States administration hoping to revive nuclear talks with Iran, and a looming International Criminal Court war crimes investigation.

This story was reported by Reuters.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.
editor@csmonitor.com
Subscribe
Mark Sappenfield
Editor

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”

If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.

We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.

Subscribe to insightful journalism

QR Code to Trial underway: Five questions about Netanyahu's political fate
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2021/0405/Trial-underway-Five-questions-about-Netanyahu-s-political-fate
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe