Benjamin Netanyahu used his power in a way “Illegitimate” for the benefit of its ” personal belongings “Attorney General Liat Ben-Ari said on Monday (April 5th) when the Israeli prime minister’s corruption trial resumed.
The first head of government in Israel’s history to face criminal charges during his term in office, Benjamin Netanyahu is accused of corruption, fraud and breach of trust in three cases, charges he firmly denies.
The trial resumes as post-election consultations begin in Israel with a view to instructing a candidate to form the next government. The Prime Minister came first in the legislative elections which took place on March 23, but without a clear majority.
Benjamin Netanyahu, 71, including fifteen in power, appeared Monday morning at the Jerusalem District Court where he was summoned for the opening statements of the prosecution. The Prime Minister “Illegitimately used the great governmental power vested in him, among other things, to seek and obtain unjustified advantages from major media owners in Israel to further his personal affairs”, said the prosecutor.
On the outskirts of the court, opponents of the Prime Minister display placards on which we can read “Liar”, “We watch over democracy”. Anti-Netanyahu protesters have been meeting every Saturday for months in front of his residence, demanding his resignation. Dozens of supporters of the prime minister, the most enduring in Israel’s history, are also gathered in court.
The end of twelve consecutive years of rule?
At the same time, a few kilometers from the court, another decisive event is taking place for the political future of Benyamin Netanyahu. Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin has entered into two-day talks with party officials. At the end of these consultations, one of the legislative candidates should be responsible for forming a government.
Likud, the prime minister’s right-wing party, won the March 23 legislative elections, the fourth in less than two years, with 30 out of 120 seats in the Knesset. But this result, combined with that of his natural allies, does not assure him the majority of 61 seats to form a stable government. And in front of him, many formations are decided to put an end to his twelve consecutive years of reign.
But for lack of a common leader in this camp, Benjamin Netanyahu could obtain the most recommendations, with the support of 16 deputies from the ultra-Orthodox Shass and Unified Judaism parties of the Torah and six from the far-right religious Zionism alliance.
Usually, the candidate who obtains the most recommendations is nominated and has 28 days to form a government, which can be extended by 14 days by the president. But Reuven Rivlin hinted last week that seat calculations might not be the only factor determining his decision and that he would nominate a candidate on Wednesday who can form a government that “Will heal the divisions (…) and rebuild society ”. “Unusual coalitions” may be needed to lift Israel out of the impasse, the president added.
The Islamist party Raam as a surprise arbitrator
Given the open acrimony which has reigned in the past between MM. Netanyahu and Rivlin, the Likud interpreted these statements as a sign of tacit support for the anti-Bibi camp, the nickname given to the prime minister. A member of Likud when he was a deputy, Reuven Rivlin was accused by the party of overstepping his duties, especially honorary ones.
In the bloc opposed to the Prime Minister, the centrist Yaïr Lapid leads the dance with 17 seats for his Yesh Atid party. But the formation of an anti-Netanyahu coalition would require an unlikely alliance between Yair Lapid, Gideon Saar, former conservative minister of Benjamin Netanyahu, Naftali Bennett, leader of the radical right and former ally of the prime minister, and other parties. center and left.
Surprised by the ballot, the formation of a government appears impossible on both sides without final support: that of the Islamist party Raam de Mansour Abbas, which won four seats and said it was open to discussions with both camps. But the religious Zionism party has already ruled out participating in a government alongside Raam, complicating the outgoing prime minister’s job.
If neither side manages to form a coalition, new elections could be called, prolonging the crisis. For the time being, Mr. Netanyahu’s trial does not threaten his ambitions since he would only have to resign in the event of a final conviction. However, it could take years for all remedies to be exhausted.