Washington, DC., 23 October 2025—
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving leader, has been embroiled in a series of legal battles that have significantly influenced his political actions and Israel’s internal dynamics. Facing charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Netanyahu has spent years in a battle for power, fighting off legal and political threats that could culminate in a conviction and potential prison time. Critics argue that Netanyahu’s desperate efforts to remain in office are driven by one overriding concern: avoiding prison.
The Legal Storm Over Netanyahu
Netanyahu is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. Even so, he has been embroiled in a series of corruption scandals since the late 2010s. He currently faces three major criminal cases. Case 1000 alleges that Netanyahu and his wife received gifts, including champagne and cigars, from wealthy benefactors in exchange for political favors. Case 2000 includes accusations of attempting to strike a deal with the publisher of Yedioth Ahronoth, one of Israel’s largest newspapers, for favorable coverage. Case 4000 is perhaps the most serious. Netanyahu allegedly granted regulatory favors to telecom giant Bezeq in exchange for positive media coverage from its news subsidiary, Walla!.
Netanyahu has denied all charges, calling the investigations a “witch hunt” orchestrated by political enemies, media elites, and an overreaching judiciary. His trials are ongoing, but many legal experts believe the evidence is substantial and a conviction is a real possibility, especially if he loses the political immunity that comes with power.
Power as a Shield
Since being indicted in 2019, Netanyahu’s political behavior has increasingly centered on retaining power at any cost. Various legislative and judicial maneuvers have been introduced during Netanyahu’s terms that are aimed at shielding him from accountability, including proposals for extending immunity to sitting prime ministers. Dissolving Knesset after Knesset, repeatedly forcing elections, and forming a fragile coalition, are not just about ideological governance but also about protecting himself from legal consequences.
Israeli law does not require a sitting prime minister to resign even while under indictment (unlike cabinet members), meaning the office provides a degree of legal insulation and influence that could be used to delay or mitigate proceedings. So long as Netanyahu remains in office, he maintains significant influence over judicial appointments, law enforcement priorities, and legislative protections that could delay or derail his prosecution.
In 2023, Netanyahu’s government launched a controversial judicial overhaul that would have curtailed the powers of the Israeli Supreme Court and given the ruling coalition greater control over judicial appointments. Opponents saw this as a direct threat to democracy and a veiled attempt to undermine the very institutions prosecuting Netanyahu.
The move culminated in massive public protests across the country. Millions of Israelis took to the streets, viewing the reforms as a threat to democracy and an attempt to dismantle checks on executive power. The backlash compelled Netanyahu to pause certain aspects of the overhaul, but tensions remain high. Many Israelis see the reforms as a constitutional crisis in the making, designed less to balance the branches of government and more to protect a prime minister with a legal noose tightening around his neck.
A Nation Held Hostage
Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal entanglements and his battle to remain in power have created a profound constitutional and moral dilemma for Israel. While he denies any wrongdoing and insists his motivations are rooted in national interest, the overlap between his legal defense and political survival is hard to ignore.
The deeper concern for many Israelis is not just whether Netanyahu is guilty, but what his personal legal battle means for the country. Is the justice system being politicized? Is policy being driven by a desire for self-preservation? And perhaps most importantly: Can a democracy function when its leader is perceived to be fighting the judiciary instead of upholding it? Netanyahu’s critics accuse him of holding the nation hostage, trading long-term national interests for short-term personal gain. Meanwhile, his supporters argue that the charges are politically motivated and that Netanyahu is the victim of an establishment coup.
And then there is Israel’s war in Gaza. It is plausible that Netanyahu’s incentive to prolong the war is the ability to hold onto political power and delay legal consequences. It also helps him maintain the coalition and political momentum in a society facing an existential threat. Other factors matter greatly: his ideological goals, coalition dynamics (including far-right partners), international pressures, military/strategic objectives, etc.
The war gives him a rally-around-the-flag effect, delays trial logistics – the delay was due to the war, and gives him time to rally allies to his defense. Donald Trump is perhaps one of Netanyahu’s biggest allies. While addressing the Knesset after the announcement of the Gaza ceasefire. Trump asked Israeli President Issac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu.
For Netanyahu, losing power could mean more than just a tarnished legacy; it could mean prison. And for Israel, the stakes are just as high; the integrity of its democracy, the independence of its judiciary, and the future of its political norms hang in the balance.
As Israel continues to grapple with internal divisions and external threats, its prime minister stands at the center of a historic confrontation between the rule of law and the reach of political power. Whether his gambit will succeed or ultimately lead to his downfall remains one of the most consequential questions in modern Israeli history.
Photo credit: Israel’s Economic and Political Outlook: Benjamin Netanyahu, Espen Barth Eide, by World Economic Forum. Licensed under CC BY NC SA 2.0
Lara Kajs is the founder and executive director of The Genocide Report, an NGO nonprofit organization in Washington, DC. She is the author of Beyond the Veil: Afghan Women and Girls’ Journey to Freedom (forthcoming), Assad’s Syria, and Stories from Yemen: A Diary from the Field, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, and independent bookstores worldwide. Distributed by Ingram. Ms. Kajs frequently speaks about atrocity crimes, forced displacement, and International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Follow and connect with Lara Kajs on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.