Israel hasn’t spoken out about the “war” in Gaza for many weeks. After all, is there a ceasefire in place, or not? Both here and there are not accurate accounts of the deaths of more than 350 Palestinians during this alleged “ceasefire,” nor is it the death of more than 130 children. Palestinians are there to help them die because of this. Nothing can be discussed.
However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pardon request is yet another piece of cake. Anyone in Israel who appears to be discussing it on any one of the political spectrum seems to be saying it. Nothing more accurately reflects the age of Netanyahu (my daughter, age 22, has only recently witnessed an Israel led by Netanyahu). Netanyahu’s angry supporters point out that this is not even a pardon request. The Israeli president, who is currently Isaac Herzog, a former leader of Netanyahu’s opposition, has the legal authority to pardon “felons”. However, felons are those who have been found guilty of breaking the law in court. The trial of Netanyahu is still ongoing.
In Israel’s history, there hasn’t been more than one pardon issued before a conviction (presumably before a trial). Shin Bet employees, who stormed a bus that had been taken by Palestinians in 1984, were given the opportunity to kill two of the hijackers. The Shin Bet leadership rigged the internal investigation into what became known as the Bus 300 affair. An unprecedented agreement was reached two years later that pardoned the Shin Bet members who were detained without being charged with any wrongdoing in the extrajudicial killings as well as gave them the opportunity to step down. There were mentions of special security concerns. In essence, Netanyahu asks that the same circumstances be used.
However, he is not just requesting a pardon. In order to promote “national unity” and the “stupendous developments” expected by Netanyahu in the Middle East, he is asking the president to stop the trial (a largely ceremonial role). The trial should have never have begun, in the eyes of his devoted supporters. Due to the “weakness” of the indictments he faces, they have argued for both a mistrial and a prosecution immunity. His supporters now claim that his full-time leadership role is necessary in the midst of a never-ending conflict (at Netanyahu’s instigation and orchestration). They attribute his trial to the Israeli legal system’s “crucial” legal and judicial reform, which Netanyahu initiated long before October 7, 2023, as a personal vendetta by the Israeli government. The uproar in response to Netanyahu’s request is a perfect illustration of the Israeli “deep state”‘s hatred for Netanyahu and Israel in general, according to these supporters in parliament and media. They have responded to Netanyahu’s request with gusto, from environmental protection minister Idit Silman’s warning that Donald Trump will be “forced to intervene” against Israel’s judicial system to Amit Hadad, Netanyahu’s personal attorney, who has vowed to get the trial to stop so that he can “get on with the business of healing the nation” and take over the country’s current crisis.
The persistent “compromisers,” who assert at every turn that the truth can only be found in the middle, exist between the two camps. These infamous Israeli centrists are urging a plea deal or some other major agreement. The majority of people want a political settlement that would require Netanyahu’s defection from politics in exchange for avoiding conviction. Others prefer a “moderate” approach that would focus on Netanyahu’s role in the events of October 7, 2023, particularly the dysfunctional behavior of the Israeli military and other governmental authorities, but not as much on a solution as the general framing of the issue. The desirable narrative must always be one of unity, and unity only becomes possible when both “sides” come to terms with less than 100% of their initial desires.
These seemingly contradictory approaches all focus entirely on Netanyahu, which is the common denominator. Consider the centrists, for instance. In his favor, Netanyahu wrote a never-before-seen letter that essentially demanded that institutional norms and state law be suspended. The justification was vague at best, with references to “interests,” “stupendous developments,” national unity, and, at worst, cynical manipulation. One might assume that Netanyahu’s request would be dubious by those who swore “moderation” would be. These centrists immediately accepted the letter as legitimate and sought to place their compromise in relation to it when Netanyahu made it public.
The liberals are also in the same boat. The largest demonstration before the ceasefire became effective was attended by US Presidents Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner before it was officially enacted. These protesters consolidated their differences with Netanyahu into one issue, namely his failure (and lack of desire) to release the hostages. The audience booed when Kushner mentioned Netanyahu. Israeli media consumed with the boos for three days, which is much longer than the Israeli attention span for, say, a Palestinians’ documented execution. They were they authorized. Because he was the prime minister, were they improper? Did they demonstrate that the protests against him were merely motivated by his supporters’ hatred for him? Was Netanyahu the definition of evil that no one should be ashamed of? In those days, hundreds and hundreds of people perished. Both the Israeli economy and the infrastructure were destroyed. Netanyahu, Netanyahu’s response, Netanyahu’s positioning, all these liberal Israelis wanted to talk about.
No one but Netanyahu is available to Netanyahu’s supporters. He is “their” representative in the face of the ruling class who believes the nation belongs to them. Through his audacity and cunning, he alone brought Israel’s enemies to their knees. He was the one who overturned the paradigm that made Israel a victim of global disarmament. Israel is now free to express its desires, which it does only for the time being. Because of his dedication to his historic cause and saving the Jewish people, no rule or law should apply to him. Why vote for someone else if he doesn’t do all of that and declares his overt supporters (thereby echoing the thoughts of his covert ones)? They do, however, hardly ever differ from him in any way. No leader of the Jewish “opposition” has ever proposed a strategy that was in line with what Netanyahu has already accomplished. They all support Israel’s right to “destroy” Hamas and use its absolute discretion to attack any other “enemy.” Palestinian Israeli parliamentarians are prohibited from attending “coordination” meetings by them, and Netanyahu will be replaced by a “Zionist” (read “fully Jewish”) government. Netanyahu may be to blame for Israel’s declining international standing, but none of them agree with Israel’s handling of the genocide and destruction of Gaza. Less than 18 months apart, the two “opposition” leaders who served as prime ministers also did so. Netanyahu has served as prime minister for almost 20 years. He has a bit of a cad and may be a little crazy, but overall, he’s pretty good. He is still superior to any self-styled heir to his business acumen.
The conclusion is straightforward. Netanyahu is not just Israel’s most effective politician. In Israel, he is the only politician. Expect him to lead the largest party and serve as prime minister if an election is called in the upcoming months if he is not charged with any crime. God was the first to use the phrase “there is none like Him.” Netanyahu is the only one available to Israelis of all political stripes.
