Netanyahu loses long battle to remain Israel’s top political leader

BENJAMIN Netanyahu lost his long battle to remain Israel’s top political leader at the weekend, leaving office after a run of 12 years as prime minister. Now he faces a legal battle against the graft charges that came to dominate his final years in office.

Although Netanyahu became Israel’s longest-serving prime minister – 15 years in total – his alleged crimes carry potentially serious repercussions, including the possibility of years in prison. They may also hamper any plans for a political comeback by Netanyahu, who has pledged to fight both the charges and his political opponents.

While lurid allegations had long swirled around Netanyahu, it wasn’t until February 28, 2019, that Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit recommended that the prime minister be indicted on charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust. Netanyahu was indicted later that year. The charges became known in Israel by their case numbers: 1000, 2000 and 4000. Case 1000 involved allegations that the Netanyahu family received illegal gifts, including pink champagne, jewellery, Cuban cigars and even tickets to a

Mariah Carey concert, in exchange for political favours for billionaire backers.

The gifts, alleged to have totaled about $260,000 (about R3.6 million), came from Arnon Milchan, a Hollywood producer who is also an Israeli citizen, and Australian businessman James Packer, according to the indictment.

In Case 2000, Netanyahu was accused of working with Arnon Mozes, owner of Israel’s best-selling daily newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth, to limit the circulation of a rival newspaper in exchange for more positive coverage. According to prosecutors, Mozes made the offer in the run-up to the 2014 election; although the prime minister did not formally accept it, he benefited by not refusing it and not reporting it, the indictment states.

The most serious allegations are contained in Case 4000, which alleges that between 2012 and 2017, Netanyahu had a “quid pro quo” arrangement with a businessman who owned a popular news website named Walla. The tycoon, Shaul Elovitch, made about $500m from the arrangement. Netanyahu has denied all the allegations.