The 70-year-old, who is also known as the Bibi king of Israel, was indicted for a long list of corruption charges last week. This could mean many things for a man who is no stranger to scandals and political controversy.
Netanyahu, like his predecessor, Ehud Olmert, could go to jail for a minimum of 10 years for the bribery charges and another three for the fraud and breach of trust. But it might just be too early to write off Bibi Netanyahu. After all, he is the master of political chicanery. He might avert the trial before the cases reach the court and seek a plea deal. While his is time at the helm of Israel’s political throne is over, Netanyahu’s political demise or survival brings no change for Israel or those suffering as a result of his policies.
Netanyahu has left an indelible mark on the nation and the Palestinians who have suffered the most during his rule. He has already poured gallons of hate into Israeli politics and made matters worse for the Palestinians. No surprises there, after all, Benjamin Netanyahu, is the man who proudly used the “Netanyahu—good for the Jews” slogan during his 1996 campaign, dividing the citizens of the country into Jews and non-Jews.
His campaign of hate now has deep roots, deeper than ever before. Over the past decade, he has used every rally and opportunity to delegitimise the Arab citizens, and he effectively has. So at this point, even if Netanyahu loses the trial, there is very little reason to celebrate his departure because he has already won the campaign of hate.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2019.
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