Destroying to build
‘BACKGROUND noise” is what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the recent developments in the police investigations against him in Case 1000 (his alleged receipt of favours from businessmen) and Case 2000 (talks with Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes, allegedly to reach a deal involving bribery).
The developments included the signing of a state’s witness agreement by his former bureau chief Ari Harow. The police have said the agreement would result in sufficient evidence to indict the prime minister. Netanyahu’s own characterization of these developments misrepresents truth and reality. No one disputes the seriousness of these developments. By any standard, an indictment against a sitting prime minister, especially on bribery charges, would constitute deafening noise.
The deal, under whose terms Harow, in return for his testimony in the two cases, would avoid prison in favour of six months of community service and a fine of 700 000 shekels (R2.6 million), makes it almost certain that Netanyahu will face charges.
The agreement with Harow was approved by Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit and State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan.
All this did not prevent the prime minister from dismissing out of hand what he termed the “baseless accusations” against him. Even the fact that the latest developments resulted from a police investigation that began over a year ago and is being co-ordinated with the state prosecution and supervised by the attorney general – whose utmost caution, which seemed to many people to border on providing legal defence services (as the demonstrations outside Mendelblit’s home demonstrate) – did not prevent Netanyahu from minimizing the latest events. Netanyahu shamelessly described the hard work of dozens of police officers, investigators, public officials and lawyers as “a witch hunt” aimed at bringing down his government.
The fact that the guardians he appointed as gatekeepers found it difficult to withstand the deluge of evidence proves that this is no less than a political earthquake. It would be best if Netanyahu overcame his inclination to destroy state institutions in order to remain in power, and allowed the police and prosecutors to complete this investigation unimpeded.