Netanyahu Has Avoided Facing Court And Potentially Years in Prison
December 10, 2024—After a long delay, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced an Israeli court today in resumption of a criminal trial on charges dating back to 2019.
“Everything is at stake,” said Alexis Bloom, director of the 2024 documentary, “The Bibi Files,” during an interview with MSNBC. “This trial is an incredibly important event for Netanyahu, and he’s been assiduously trying to avoid testifying.”
The case is not only significant as a domestic matter. Observers argue that it has implications for the widening wars in the Middle East.
“It’s his attempt to avoid a legal reckoning that has caused all sorts of damage in the Middle East. Many people in the security establishment argue it is prolonging unnecessarily the devasting war in Gaza,” said Alex Gibney, producer of a documentary film, The Bibi Files, due to be released on Wednesday.
The Charges
The charges date back to a 2019 indictment. They involve three criminal cases on charges: bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing. Facing court, he claimed he was the victim of insults and libel.
If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison for bribery and three years for fraud and breach of trust.
The charges are separate from the arrest warrant sought by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes.
Judicial Overhaul Threatened Democracy
It is this set of criminal charges that led Netanyahu to challenge the country’s judicial system, leading to widespread protests–the largest in Israel’s history–in 2022-2023.
The challenge to the separation of powers led many outlets including the Financial Times to declare that Israel’s democracy was in jeopardy.
Long Delays Stall Justice
For years, the Prime Minister’s lawyers have succeeded in delaying the trial. The causes for delay include Covid-19, legal maneuvering, and the current multi-front war.
Prosecutors say he gave regulatory advantages to media outlets in exchange for favorable coverage. They also accuse Netanyahu and his wife of accepting gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for political favors.
News media mentioned in the cases include the daily paper Yedioth Ahronoth and the website Walla.
