Latest news with #pro-Netanyahu
Roya News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
The Netanyahu trial: Power, corruption, and the fight to avoid justice
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Occupation's longest-serving Prime Minister, is fighting the legal battle of his life. After more than 17 years in power, and nearly three decades as a dominant political force, Netanyahu now stands at the center of a corruption saga that has both gripped and divided 'Israeli' society. Accused of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in a trio of cases that span luxury gifts, media manipulation, and corporate favoritism, Netanyahu's trial is more than a legal proceeding, it is a referendum on power, justice, and democracy in 'Israel'. - Background - Netanyahu served three separate terms as Prime Minister: from 1996 to 1999, from 2009 to 2021, and again beginning in 2022. But corruption allegations have trailed him for decades, resurfacing again and again with increasing intensity. Those accusations finally crystallized in 2019 when he became the first sitting 'Israeli' Prime Minister to be indicted. - The charges: A closer look - Netanyahu faces criminal charges in three interrelated corruption cases. Case 1000: The Gifts Affair Between 2007 and 2016, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, allegedly accepted nearly USD 300,000 in luxury gifts, including cigars, champagne, and jewelry, from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer. In return, Netanyahu allegedly used his office to lobby for Milchan's financial and legal interests, including a US visa renewal and tax exemptions. Case 2000: The Media Deal Netanyahu is also accused of attempting to strike a deal with media mogul Arnon Mozes, publisher of Yedioth Ahronoth, to receive more favorable coverage in exchange for legislation that would weaken a competing pro-Netanyahu outlet, Israel Hayom. Case 4000: Regulatory Favors In the most serious case, Netanyahu is accused of promoting regulatory decisions that benefited Shaul Elovitch, former controlling shareholder of Bezeq, 'Israel's' telecom giant, in exchange for positive coverage on Elovitch's news site, Walla. Ghost cases Two additional investigations, Cases 1270 and 3000, were dropped before trial. The first involved allegations of a bribery offer to a judge in exchange for dropping charges against Netanyahu's wife. The second focused on a controversial submarine deal with Germany, where Netanyahu's cousin, who represented the manufacturer, allegedly stood to benefit. While Netanyahu avoided formal charges in both cases, they further fueled the perception of systemic abuse of power. - What's at stake? - If convicted of bribery, Netanyahu could face up to 10 years in prison, while fraud and breach of trust carry penalties of up to three years. But politically, he remains protected, at least for now. "Israeli" law allows him to remain in office unless convicted and exhausted of appeals. Analysts say this loophole has turned the Prime Minister's office into a shield, and Netanyahu appears determined to use every ounce of its protection. - A history of legal escapes - This is not Netanyahu's first brush with the law. As early as 1997, he was investigated for trying to appoint a sympathetic attorney general. In 1999, he was suspected of accepting lavish renovations from a government contractor. Both cases were ultimately dropped. Still, the current charges are the most serious yet, and the most persistent. Since the trial began in 2020, it has moved at a glacial pace, bogged down by delays, political instability, and a global pandemic. - Delays, distractions, and smokescreens - Critics accuse Netanyahu of using national crises, including repeated wars in Iran, Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon, to delay court appearances. His government has also tried to reshape the legal landscape itself. In 2023, Netanyahu's far-right coalition launched a controversial judicial overhaul that critics saw as a direct attempt to weaken the very courts trying him. The move triggered mass protests and divided 'Israeli' society, though it was shelved following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas operation. In one striking instance, he was set to testify in March 2025 but avoided the hearing after ordering a surprise attack on Gaza, effectively postponing the trial again. - Negotiating justice - Behind closed doors, Netanyahu has reportedly sought plea deals, including one in which he would plead guilty to lesser charges in Case 1000. But he has refused to accept any verdict that would require his resignation or a ban from politics. In June 2025, US President Donald Trump weighed in, calling the trial a 'witch hunt' and urging for it to be canceled or for Netanyahu to be pardoned, remarks that triggered outrage from 'Israeli' opposition figures who accused Trump of meddling. - The bigger question - As Netanyahu's legal battle drags on, its implications go far beyond one man. His critics say he has turned the justice system into a tool for political survival, delaying, discrediting, and even attempting to dismantle it. Regardless of the verdict, the damage may already be done. Institutions have been weakened, public trust has eroded, and the precedent has been set: that a sitting Prime Minister can use the machinery of state to fend off justice.
Al Jazeera
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Netanyahu's survival tactics tested amid Israel Shin Bet head's accusations
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a knack for survival. The country's longest serving leader – he has been in power for 18 years over three nonconsecutive periods – has seen off many rivals and outlasted several enemies. The latest fight is with Ronen Bar, the head of Israel's domestic intelligence agency, the Shin Bet. Netanyahu fired Bar last month due to what he called a breakdown in trust, but the Supreme Court has suspended the dismissal, pending an investigation. In the meantime, there have been protests against Netanyahu – the prime minister is used to those – and now an affidavit filed by Bar on Monday, in which he lobs several accusations against the Israeli leader. They include demands from Netanyahu that Bar place his loyalty to him above that of the Supreme Court's rulings if the two ever clash and that he spy on Netanyahu's opponents. It all comes as the Shin Bet investigates financial ties between Netanyahu's office and Qatar. Netanyahu has denied Bar's claims, calling his affidavit a 'false' one that would be 'disproved in detail soon'. The response follows the Netanyahu playbook when facing opposition – a denial of any accusations made against him, a shifting of the blame and pushing a problem to the future if possible. The legal cases Netanyahu faces – he is on trial for corruption – are a case in point. The prime minister has been able to drag the court process out for years and most recently has used Israel's war on Gaza to delay his court appearances. 'There is scandal fatigue in the Israeli public,' Israeli political analyst Nimrod Flaschenberg told Al Jazeera. Flaschenberg added that Israeli society's increased polarisation means another scandal will hardly shift where people stand on the divisive Netanyahu. 'People who are against Netanyahu and against the government see this as another evidence of the corruption, the deterioration of democratic space and the end of Israeli democracy,' he said. 'And people from the pro-Netanyahu camp see this as Bar trying to generate a coup against Netanyahu and his right-wing government.' This polarisation has been aided by the fact the Israeli political opposition is fractured. Opposition figure Benny Gantz was once the challenger to the throne but has been criticised for failing to take strong stances on complicated issues, and there is growing support for him to be replaced as the head of the National Unity political alliance. 'Many Israelis think [the current situation is] an emergency but they don't really have the tools to change it, and there's no powerful opposition in the parliament that can do anything about it,' said Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst on Israel with the International Crisis Group. The war in Gaza itself is a testament to Netanyahu's survival skills. Despite being blamed by many Israelis for failing to prevent the October 7, 2023, attacks against Israel, among the deadliest in the country's history, and unable to free the remaining captives held in Gaza or fully defeat Hamas, Netanyahu remains in power. That is even as the war grows increasingly unpopular in Israel with 100,000 reservists failing to respond to their call-ups, according to the Israeli-Palestinian +972 Magazine. And yet Netanyahu is arguably in a stronger position politically than he was at the start of the war, expanding Israeli-occupied territory in Lebanon and Syria, all while seeing the administration of ally President Donald Trump take power in the United States. Netanyahu's governing coalition may have lost some figures over time, including former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, but it has become more solidified by shifting further to the right. 'His coalition is very much solid and intact,' Zonszein said. 'Throughout the last year and a half, he's only stabilised his coalition further.' Netanyahu has increasingly leaned on the ultra-Orthodox and far-right parties like those led by two of the most far-right ministers in his government – Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. While analysts said a shift rightwards has upset many Israelis, there seems to be little chance of change at the moment. 'It would take a very radical step to actually remove Netanyahu from power,' Zonszein said. 'It's like a grinding, deteriorating situation in which more allegations and evidence come to light,' Zonszein said, speaking of the scandals Netanyahu has faced. 'But it doesn't mean it's going to change anything on the ground.' A sort of lethargy may have started to set in in some quarters of Israeli society as Netanyahu holds onto power. His coalition has enough seats in parliament to continue, and its members have their own reasons for wanting to avoid it breaking up. That means the only way Netanyahu is likely to be removed from power is through elections – the next of which does not need to happen until October 27, 2026. In theory, the attorney general could determine Netanyahu is unfit to serve, but analysts said that would prove contentious and unlikely to happen. Failing that, the only way Netanyahu might be removed from power would be through elections. A poll this month from Israel's Channel 12 showed that the right-wing former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's new party would win a majority if elections were held today. But that alone is not enough to calm the worries of some people in Israel. 'Some Israelis are concerned that there won't be a free and fair election next year,' Zonszein said. Flaschenberg said he feared the police could be used by Netanyahu and his allies to suppress voting. There are, however, some possible moves for the Israeli public to play. Flaschenberg said public strikes have been effective in the past. In mid-2023, a public strike prevented Netanyahu from firing Gallant although another attempt at a strike in late 2024 failed because of a lack of clear demands. And the furore over the attempted firing of Bar is unlikely to change things. For the pressure to manifest into something tangible against Netanyahu, a number of factors would have to come to fruition. 'If this legal security situation with Ronen Bar and with the Shin Bet will intensify and at the same time the refusal wave that we are seeing or the wave of protests of people from the army against the war, this might shake things up and maybe change course,' Flaschenberg said. 'So I'm not entirely hopeless about what could develop in the next few months,' he said, before adding: '[But] I'm relatively hopeless.'
Express Tribune
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Ishaq Dar criticises Netanyahu's comments on Palestinian displacement as ‘irresponsible'
Listen to article Pakistan has strongly condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks suggesting that the Palestinian people should establish a state in Saudi Arabia, calling the statement 'irresponsible, provocative, and thoughtless.' The condemnation came from Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday, following Netanyahu's remarks during an interview on pro-Netanyahu Channel 14. The Israeli leader appeared to be joking when he responded to an interviewer who mistakenly said "Saudi state" instead of "Palestinian state", before correcting himself. According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office, FM Dar said: 'The Israeli remark is irresponsible, provocative, and thoughtless, which is not only deeply offensive but also undermines and disregards the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination and an independent state on their own historical and legitimate territory.' Pakistan reaffirmed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia, commending the Kingdom's steadfast support for the Palestinian cause. The Foreign Office stated that any attempt to misrepresent Saudi Arabia's position on Palestine was 'deeply regrettable.' FM Dar reiterated Pakistan's firm stance on Palestine, stating that the Palestinian people have an "inalienable right to establish an independent and sovereign state based on pre-1967 borders, with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital.' The Foreign Office strongly rejected any proposal that seeks to displace or relocate Palestinians, calling it a 'blatant violation of international law, UN resolutions, and the principles of justice and fairness.' Pakistan vowed to continue working closely with Saudi Arabia and the international community to advocate for the rights of Palestinians and push for a just, comprehensive, and lasting solution to the conflict. Pakistan also urged the international community to denounce Netanyahu's provocative remarks and hold Israel accountable for undermining the peace process.
Dubai Eye
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Dubai Eye
Saudi Arabia rejects Israel PM's remarks on displacing Palestinians
Saudi Arabia affirmed its categorical rejection of remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about displacing Palestinians from their land, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday. Israeli officials have suggested the establishment of a Palestinian state on Saudi territory. Netanyahu appeared to be joking on Thursday when he responded to an interviewer on pro-Netanyahu Channel 14 who mistakenly said "Saudi state" instead of "Palestinian state", before correcting himself. While the Saudi statement mentioned Netanyahu's name, it did not directly refer to the comments about establishing a Palestinian state in Saudi territory. The UAE, Egypt and Jordan also condemned the Israeli suggestions, with Cairo deeming the idea as a "direct infringement of Saudi sovereignty". The kingdom said it valued "brotherly" states' rejection of Netanyahu's remarks. "This occupying extremist mindset does not comprehend what the Palestinian territory means for the brotherly people of Palestine and its conscientious, historical and legal association with that land," it said. Discussions of the fate of Palestinians in Gaza has been upended by Tuesday's shock proposal from President Donald Trump that the US would "take over the Gaza Strip" from Israel and create a "Riviera of the Middle East" after resettling Palestinians elsewhere. Arab states have roundly condemned Trump's comments, which came during a fragile ceasefire in the Gaza war that Israel has been waging against Hamas, which controls the narrow strip. Trump has said Saudi Arabia was not demanding a Palestinian state as a condition for normalising ties with Israel. But Riyadh rebuffed his statements, saying it would not establish ties with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state.
LBCI
09-02-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Saudi Arabia rejects remarks by Israel's Netanyahu about displacing Palestinians
Saudi Arabia affirmed its categorical rejection of remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about displacing Palestinians from their land, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday. Israeli officials had suggested the establishment of a Palestinian state on Saudi territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to be joking this week when he responded to an interviewer on pro-Netanyahu Channel 14 who misspoke by saying "Saudi state" instead of "Palestinian state" before correcting himself. While the Saudi statement mentioned Netanyahu's name, it did not directly refer to the comments about establishing a Palestinian state in Saudi territory. Reuters
