Although expelled from the prime minister’s Benjamin Netanyahu who is now an MP, leader of the opposition and accused of corruption promises to return even if his future is no longer considered uncertain.
In Israel, the prime minister has no immunity, but he is not obliged to resign or withdraw during his trial.
That’s why Netanyahu, 71, has retained his job as head of government after being charged in May 2020 with corruption, fraud and abuse of power in a number of court cases.
The former prime minister is accused, among other things, of accepting gifts (champagne, jewelry, cigars), securing favorable coverage from Israel’s largest newspaper, the Yediot Aharonot, and treating a telecoms tycoon with the same goal.
To escape, Benjamin Netanyahu sought to secure judicial immunity, trying to influence, even through a power-sharing deal last year, the passage of a law that would protect him as prime minister.
In the opposition now, Netanyahu has no leverage to change the law. But according to Johann Plessner, director of the Israel Democratic Institute (IDI), a think tank in Jerusalem, his quest to stay in politics is linked to his judicial adventures.
In 1999, when he first came to power, Netanyahu retired from politics for a while. This time, “his motivation is to remain the leader of the opposition, and this is primarily connected with the lawsuits against him.”
“He wants to continue to appear as an accused who has some political power and a chance to become prime minister again. “He thinks this gives him a lever against the judges and the attorney general,” said Johann Plessner, according to the Athens News Agency, citing Israeli media.
In the past, many of his political opponents have threatened to pass a law barring anyone prosecuted from serving as prime minister to discourage any desire to run again as Likud leader.
If convicted, Benjamin Netanyahu faces up to 10 years in prison for corruption and three years for fraud and abuse of power.
The former prime minister, who has pleaded not guilty, has already publicly ruled out “negotiating a sentence” in exchange for pleading guilty, a process that is very common in Israel.
Prime Minister or not, his trial before the Jerusalem court could take years. In case of conviction, he will be able to appeal to the Supreme Court. And finally, there is the possibility of applying for a presidential pardon.
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