Are Netanyahu’s Trials Soon Concluding?

Israel has two wars it must deal with: the war against jihadist terrorist groups, which is in an uneasy frozen state; and an internal war pulsing through Israel’s political system, which centers on one man—Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

For years, Netanyahu’s political enemies have tried to delegitimize and even incarcerate him. His political program is constantly hampered by judicial activism from Israel’s Supreme Court and attorney general. But one crucial battle of this war may soon be won.

Prime Minister Netanyahu is currently facing three criminal cases, labeled 1000, 2000 and 4000. Case 4000 is considered the most serious. From 2014 to 2017, Netanyahu was Israel’s minister of communications while serving as prime minister. During this time, he is accused of bending regulations favoring Bezeq, Israel’s largest telecom corporation, in exchange for favorable coverage from a subsidiary news website.

The “smoking gun” against Netanyahu was his alleged meeting with ministry bureaucrat Shlomo Filber on the subject. Filber is a witness for the prosecution. Netanyahu claims the conversation never happened.

The trial is ongoing, and the transcript is not yet available. But a spokesman for Netanyahu’s party claims the Israel Police gave evidence that this meeting never happened. Cell phone geolocation data showed Filber and Netanyahu were apart at the time of the alleged meeting. His testimony claims the police chronology of the investigation ruled out the meeting from ever happening. This evidence was submitted to the prosecution, but they did not reveal it to the defense nor the court.

Assuming the statement is true, the prosecution deliberately withheld evidence from the authorities to falsify a crime. “If correct,” Alex Traiman wrote for Jewish News Syndicate, “this would amount to concealment of exculpatory material, misrepresentation to the court, and the filing of indictments based on claims known to be untrue.”

Netanyahu’s other court cases are also taking dramatic turns.

• Case 1000 claims he accepted cigars, champagne and other gifts from famed Israeli filmmaker Arnon Milchan as bribes. The prosecution has admitted there was no quid pro quo, but it claims these gifts could have, in Traiman’s words, “compromised Netanyahu at some undefined future point.”
• Case 2000 claims the prime minister tried to arrange a quid pro quo with a newspaper to fiddle with media regulations in exchange for positive coverage, similar to Case 4000. Like with Case 1000, the prosecution admits there was no quid pro quo.

These legal cases already had shaky foundations. That Case 4000, the most serious one, is being exposed as baseless and even concocted, may indicate Netanyahu could soon be free of them.

The prime minister has had to navigate these court cases while leading Israel’s wars against Hamas, Iran, the Houthis and other threats. He has had to deal with these criminal investigations alongside internal division within Israel. He has faced leaks from these investigations being weaponized against him to influence public opinion. He has managed most of these crises successfully. Now it looks like these criminal trials that have been handicapping him for so long may soon be removed.

After Netanyahu ordered Israel to strike Iran’s nuclear sites last year, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry called him a “people’s watchman,” protecting Israelis from imminent danger from foreign adversaries. He wrote:

Look at the state of Israel today, and it is clear that Benjamin Netanyahu is fulfilling that role in the Jewish state. Yet he too faces terrible opposition both within Israel and abroad. He has had to stand up under withering attacks to keep warning and to defend his nation.

This man has saved his nation several times. He is an impressive example. He is one of the few leaders left in Israel with this lionlike quality. That is what it takes to be a watchman.

Benjamin Netanyahu is the “rising lion of Israel.” The world would be in a much more dangerous place without him!

It is a terrible shame that almost everyone hates him—even within his own country! His critics are blind to the terrifying dangers that Iran poses to the world!

Prime Minister Netanyahu has accomplished much for Israel’s security while simultaneously dealing with these investigations and trials. If, as it appears, he is soon vindicated of these charges, he may be able to accomplish even more for Israel.

To learn more, read Mr. Flurry’s article “Netanyahu: Israel’s Rising Lion.”