Pictured above: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons.
By Madhavi Rao ’24
Staff Writer
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is facing charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust, to all of which he is pleading not guilty. The trial, which began in 2019, recommenced on Monday, Feb. 8, a month before the country’s next election. Netanyahu, who has been in power for over 14 years, is facing criticism for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with his right-wing ideology.
Netanyahu, who has been dubbed “the Magician” for his ability to win elections despite his indictments, first faced corruption charges in 2016, with the police recommending he face trial in 2018. He was charged formally in 2019, but his trial did not begin until May 2020 because of precautions against the COVID-19 pandemic, The New York Times reported.
Netanyahu stood trial for three different cases — Case 1000, Case 2000 and Case 4000 — which implicated him in accepting luxury gifts for favors as well as for providing media organizations with services in exchange for positive news coverage. On Monday, Feb. 8, the prime minister appeared in court, pleading not guilty to all charges against him. He has repeatedly stated that he is the victim of a political witch hunt mounted against him, reported BBC News.
However, Carrie Lewis ’23, a Jewish student at Mount Holyoke, denied this claim, stating, “It’s not a witch hunt because he’s harmed a lot of lives through his corruption. He deserves the charges he’s facing; he needs to be held accountable for his actions.”
Despite being the only Israeli prime minister to face trial while serving, Netanyahu has refused to step down. According to The Guardian, he has vast staying power; in three elections held in recent years due to political tensions, Netanyahu has managed to maintain his control in the face of these allegations.
The long legal process would also mean that his arrest would be delayed for months or even years if convicted while serving, stated BBC News. Netanyahu’s staying power represents not only his loyal political followers but a general movement of Israel’s political scene to the right.
Professor of Politics and Chair of International Relations Sohail Hashmi commented on the trial. “Netanyahu knew that he was in a strong position right now because three elections were held in Israel over the past two years and they all ended up in a deadlock,” Hashmi said. “Netanyahu may not enjoy majority support, but he has plurality support that he has the largest block of Israelis backing him up any of the contenders for power in the Israeli Knesset.”
“It will be interesting to see how this plays out, but over the years Netanyahu has shown himself to be a slippery politician who has survived a number of close calls. So I am not sure [this trial] is a done deal, that he will be actually forced out of power,” Hashmi explained. “The question that people will have to ask if Natanyahu is convicted is who is going to take over [after] him since there is no obvious successor at this point. [As] the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history, he has consolidated his control quite well.”
The trial against Netanyahu comes amid several protests expressing dissent with the Israeli government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Guardian reported that the country of 9 million faces a relatively high death toll, resulting in weekly protests against the prime minister. According to The Times of Israel, a majority of his success in recent elections can be accounted for by his image as the only candidate competent and strategic enough to handle Israel’s international affairs while looking after the country’s general right-wing interests. However, while Likud, Netanyahu’s political party, has managed to maintain its power in Parliament, this might change in the coming March election, reported NPR.