Netanyahu boasts of transformation, but Israel’s image lies in ruins

On December 10, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his first regular court appearance in his forever trial for corruption. He had dodged giving testimony for four years but finally was forced to submit to the ordeal of being the first Israeli prime minister to stand trial for wrongdoing. He has served as prime minister for 17 years and the most recent opinion poll showed that his Likud party, with 25 seats, remains the largest the 120-seat Knesset but he needs coalition partners to enable him to govern. He now relies on religio-Zionist parties to stay in office. Their presence in government has alienated liberal and moderate Israelis.

The Israeli liberal daily summed up nis arrival in the courtroom with a smirk. Netanyahu’s “face was layered with makeup, his lavender-tinted hair impeccably groomed and his expression impassive when not speaking. Filming was strictly forbidden, but Netanyahu performed as if he was being X-rayed by the Israeli public.” Which is why he wore make-up and adopted a judicious attitude while denying the charges.

Following a three-year investigation, he was charged in November 2019 with bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The first two charges allege that he traded benefits to two influential media outlets for favourable coverage of himself and his family. The third charge alleges he received hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of expensive cigars, champagne, and jewellery from Israeli filmmaker Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer in exchange for political favours. If convicted he could face three years in prison.

Before he attended the hearings, they had been open to the public and Israelis had attended. Now that he is present the hearings have been closed to the public for security reasons and only journalists have been permitted to attend.

Ironically, the trial coincides with the reappearance of “The Bibi Files.” For anyone interested in the trial of Netanyahu, police investigations are fully documented in a 1 hour 55-minute film made by veteran filmmakers Alex Gibney and Alexis Bloom. They reviewed and combined portions of thousands of hours of leaked video recordings made between 2016 and 2018. These included police interviews with Netanyahu, his wife Sara, his son Yair, and numerous associates and benefactors. During his interrogation Netanyahu dismissed charges brought against him while Sara accused the police of trying to oust her husband from office. She is said to be influential in his decision-making.

Gibney is a highly respected US documentary director and producer who has won multiple Emmy awards and the 2007 Oscar for a feature reporting the beating to death by US soldiers of an Afghan taxi driver. Bloom is a South African director and producer who has worked in Israel before and won three Emmies. Israeli investigative journalist Raviv Drucker made essential contributions to the film.

The film was released on streaming as Netanyahu appeared in court. Although the film cannot be shown in Israel due to privacy laws, Israelis have been getting round restrictions or watching it on social media. Bloom told the Associated Press, “The film is being pirated like wildfire in Israel.”

While still a work in progress “The Bibi Files” was shown at the Toronto film festival in September and had its world premiere on November 14 at Doc NYC, the largest film festival in the US. Netanyahu tried and failed to block the film from being seen.

While interrogation audio had been published, the video had not and has created a sensation unwelcome in the Netanyahu household and political camp. Gibney told the entertainment magazine Variety, “These recordings shed light on Netanyahu’s character in a way that is unprecedented and extraordinary. They are powerful evidence of his venal and corrupt character and how that led us to where we are at right now.”

In the same interview, Bloom said that Netanyahu’s 2023 efforts to prevent Israel’s supreme court and judiciary from removing erring politicians from office was why she wanted go ahead with the film. This campaign prompted nine months of mass protests across the country as many Israelis believed that restricting the judiciary would undermine their democracy. Netanyahu’s formation of a hard right coalition added to Bloom’s determination to make the film.

It includes footage from the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel. On one hand, Netanyahu has been blamed for allowing Hamas to receive funds from abroad to keep it afloat in Gaza and undermine the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. On the other hand, Israelis argue Netanyahu is to blame for Israel’s security lapses which made it possible for Hamas fighters to enter Israel, kill 1,200 and abduct 251.

He has rejected calls for him to be held accountable for the Hamas policy and security failures and has managed to delay his corruption trial for more than a year by arguing he is fully occupied with the war in Gaza. Detractors contend he has kept the war going for this purpose instead of ending the conflict and freeing Israeli captives.

During this time, Israel has killed 45,000 and wounded 100,000 Gazans. Netanyahu has also expanded controlled exchanges of fire between Israel and Hizbollah into a full-scale war on Lebanon. Since the fall of the Assad government in Syria he has mounted daily attacks across that country. Hamas’ military wing has been seriously weakened, Hizbollah’s fighters decimated, and Iran has lost its most influential regional ally in Syria while Yemen’s Houthis are the remaining member of the “Axis of Resistance.”

Netanyahu boasted, “A year ago, I made a simple statement: We will change the Middle East, and we are indeed changing it. Syria is no longer the same Syria, Lebanon is no longer the same Lebanon, Gaza is no longer the same Gaza, and the head of the axis — Iran — is no longer the same Iran. They, too, have felt the weight of our strength.” He did not admit that Israel is no longer the same Israel. Israel is no longer seen as a victim but as a cruel conqueror and occupier. Israel stands accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.