Against the background of the protest against the judicial reform and the growing concern in the legal community and the left-center politicians, there have been quiet, unofficial talks recently between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s associates and representatives of the circles opposed to the legislation, with the aim of reaching a solution, Maariv reported on Friday.
Anyone reading the Maariv report is instantly reminded of the “Greek island affair” of 2001, where businessman David Apple employed Ariel Sharon’s son Gilad as an extremely highly-paid consultant – which the police and the prosecution believed was Apple’s way of bribing Sharon Sr. In 2004, the case against PM Sharon was dropped, and shortly thereafter, Sharon decided, after decades as the “father of the settlement enterprise,” to turn into the executioner of the settlement enterprise, by expelling some 10,000 Jews from the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria.
Look out, Jewish brothers and sisters, we may be treated to a remake of the same movie, this time starring defendant Benjamin Netanyahu who is facing three criminal indictments.
Sources close to the conspiracy told Maariv the powers that be in the deep state are looking into reaching a plea agreement with Netanyahu that ends his trial and lets him walk away unscathed. In those closed conversations, it was made clear that the only person capable of moderating or stopping the “judicial revolution” is Netanyahu, who throughout his career repeated ad nauseam his full and dedicated support for the Supreme Court, and was even praised for it by the great Supreme Court Shaman Justice Aharon Barak. The only problem is that a) Netanyahu is determined to punish the justice system that humiliated him over a few cases of cigars and champagne, and, b) even if Netanyahu wanted to blow his justice minister out of the water––which he is inclined to do anyway, seeing as Yariv Levin is threatening to overshadow him among right-wing voters––Netanyahu is completely prevented from engaging in the judicial reform debate by the Attorney General who warned him this would constitute a conflict-of-interests on his part.
The powers that be tried to pressure AG Gali Baharav-Miara to reverse her decision and let Bibi be Bibi – but she, ever the suspicious lass, thought it was a trap to get her to give the reform an inch.
About a year ago, retired Court President Barak came up with the suggestion of offering Netanyahu a plea deal that would carry no prison sentence or the disgrace clause, providing that he pack his bags and leaves politics. But while the offer may have been tempting before the start of his trial, at this point, when the defense is displaying the entire police investigation team as bumbling idiots who lie to the court and confess to dragging elderly family members of key witnesses to interrogation rooms to apply pressure on said witnesses to flip. Netanyahu has no reason in the world to give up his career at this point.
Unless, as was the case with Ariel Sharon, the prosecution was to withdraw the whole kit and kaboodle: no more trial and Netanyahu gets to stay as prime minister. Under such an arrangement, Bibi would be only too happy to let go of the 14 national religious MKs who fought with him in the trenches, kill the Yariv Levin reform (and find a replacement for the lad who’s become too big for his britches), and start negotiations with Benny Gantz, and maybe Yair Lapid, too, to form a nice, traditional, land-owning gentry kind of government.
Wouldn’t such a move ruin his chances to win the next election, you might ask. He doesn’t care. All he wants is to be rid of the pesky indictments against him and to get to sit on his throne for the duration of this term – after me the deluge, as another great leader, Louis IVX, once said. Bibi will be 77 in 2027, a good time to retire, beloved by his countrymen, to head a few boards of directors, and enjoy the good life.
It’s a nightmare scenario, for sure, but if you doubt it, ask yourselves why Netanyahu has been toying with Religious Zionism Chairman Bezalel Smotrich over the promised control over the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria? Defense Minister continues to defy the coalition agreement between Netanyahu and Smotrich, Smotrich complains, Bibi says he’ll take care of it, and another bunch of settlers get beaten up and abused by bestial police officers. The same with Ben Gvir, who keeps up an aggressive campaign to regain control of the Arab neighborhoods in eastern Jerusalem – only to be shot down by Netanyahu.
He is toying with them because he is waiting for a deal that would allow him to throw them out to the curb. If this happens, the Haredi parties may be unhappy, but trust me, they won’t go anywhere. The last thing they want is another term in the opposition, while their constituents go hungry. Not gonna happen.
I’m only saying.
