By Alon Ben-Meir
The long-anticipated indictment of Prime
Minister Netanyahu has finally come to pass. For three years, Netanyahu spared
no effort to scuttle three criminal cases against him but failed. These charges
and their implications have now become rather clear. They have occupied
Netanyahu’s thinking as to how to save himself and maintain his position as
Prime Minister. They have impacted Israel’s policies, in particular toward the
Palestinians, and without a doubt, the charges have adversely impacted
Netanyahu’s efforts to form a government following the last two elections.
In the first case, Case 1000, Netanyahu is
charged with receiving gifts from Hollywood film producer Arnon Milchan in
return for political favors. In the second case, Case 2000, Netanyahu was accused
of striking a deal with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes to provide
Netanyahu with favorable coverage in return for politically targeting a rival
newspaper. In Case 4000, the third charge, Netanyahu took steps to benefit his
friend Shaul Elovitch, who controlled Bezeq, in return for favorable coverage
on Bezeq’s news site Walla. The first two cases charged Netanyahu with fraud
and breach of trust; the third case added charges of bribery as well.
Netanyahu made a supreme effort all along to
have these charges dismissed, claiming in the first case that it is acceptable
to receive gifts from friends. In Case 2000, he claimed that he and Mozes were
basically fooling each other and had no intention of following through, and
argued in Case 4000 that asking for favorable coverage is not bribery.
In April of this year, Netanyahu continued his
effort by initially trying to reinstate a 2005 immunity law which gave the
Knesset House Committee the power to reject the Attorney General’s request to
rescind immunity of any particular MK. In May, Netanyahu planned to push
through a new law that would allow the Knesset to protect his immunity. This
would have allowed the Knesset to ignore any High Court ruling on
administrative matters, including potentially revoking Netanyahu’s immunity.
And in July, realizing that he couldn’t pass
such laws, Netanyahu claimed, “No one is changing the law, it doesn’t need to
be changed, and I won’t need it at all… it isn’t necessary at all because there
has never been anything and there won’t be anything.”
The three indictments were a menacing dark cloud
that hovered over Netanyahu’s head, and have had a significant impact on his
political decisions. He sought to demonstrate that the charges were largely
frivolous and that he is the indispensable leader that will safeguard Israel’s
national security.
But the greater impact of these charges on his
behavior was more related to the Palestinians. He needed to show toughness and
an uncompromising position – not only to cement his right-of-center base but to
demonstrate that he is the only leader who can pursue policies consistent with
Israel’s presumed national aspirations to control all of the ‘Land of Israel,
including the West Bank. Other than continuing to expand and legalize settlements,
he announced more than once that following the formation of a new government,
Israel will annex significant chunks of the West Bank, to continue to please
his base.
Perhaps the most important impact of the charges
was his inability to form a government twice this year, in April and September.
Because as a sitting prime minister, he would not be indicted, he insisted that
under no circumstances would he relinquish that position, knowing that an
indictment against him will force him to face trial. This was given an even
greater urgency after the second election when he and Kahol Lavan leader Benny
Gantz attempted to form a unity government.
For the same reason, Netanyahu insisted that in
a rotating prime ministership which both sides agreed upon, he would serve as
prime minister for the first two years. Since Gantz refused, especially given
Kahol Lavan’s larger mandate and Netanyahu’s pending indictment, Netanyahu is
opting to go for a third election within a year, hoping against hope that he
will emerge as the winner with a greater mandate to form a new government.
What is sad about all this is that Netanyahu has
all along put his self-interest above the party and the nation. Having served
as the longest prime minister in Israel’s history, Netanyahu’s insatiable
hunger for power and desperate need to escape the indictment was first and
foremost in his mind.
For a man who professes to love his country and
has dedicated all his life in the service of the state, he failed to grasp that
in the final analysis, Israel’s survival has not and will never depend on a
single individual. Had he indeed been concerned with the welfare and the
security of Israel, he would have agreed to serve in a rotating unity
government with Gantz on Kahol Lavan’s terms and spared the country the pain of
going through a third election? His failure, and the subsequent failure of
Gantz himself to form a government, may well push Israel now toward its third
election in a single year.
In an open letter to Netanyahu in October, I wrote,
“It’s time for you to go. There is nothing you can do that others cannot do
just as good, if not better. Resign your post; turn to the Attorney General to
drop the charges against you. The nation will forgive you for your good
intentions and some deeds… Unless you want to end up in jail just like your
predecessor, spare the nation the humiliation and pain.”
Sadly, he did not heed such advice, regardless
of its source, and now he may very well end up in jail and stigmatize Israel
for having been led by corrupt leaders who seem to have always put their
personal self-interest above that of the nation.
About the Author
____________
Dr. Alon Ben-Meir is a professor of
international relations at the Center for Global Affairs at NYU. He teaches
courses on international negotiation and Middle Eastern studies. He can be
reached at alon@alonben-meir.com.
Web: www.alonben-meir.com
For media inquiries, contact Kim Hurley at
212.600.4267 or at kimberlee@alonben-meir.com.
Please feel free to share this article with your
contacts.
==============================================
