Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government has managed to fracture the two foundations of any democracy: an independent judiciary and a free press. The prime minister’s re-election campaign proves he is now targeting both for total annihilation. Helping him is Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, who prides herself on having wrought a revolution in the Israeli judicial system and wants to see it through to the end.

On Jan. 18, given increasing indications that Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit is likely to indict Netanyahu on corruption charges before the April 9 elections, pending a hearing, a giant billboard went up in Tel Aviv with the portraits of four leading Israeli journalists and the caption, “They will not decide.”

Two days later, Netanyahu posted the four portraits on his Facebook page, writing, “They will not decide. You will decide.” The journalists include Al-Monitor colleague Ben Caspit, author of a critical biography of Netanyahu published in 2018, and Raviv Drucker, who has exposed alleged corruption — including malfeasance at Netanyahu's residences, gifts he received and Israel’s purchase of German submarines — that led to police investigations. Also on the billboard is journalist and analyst Amnon Abramovich, who is often critical of Netanyahu and his circle, and television reporter Guy Peleg, who aired transcripts of conversations between Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth publisher Arnon Mozes, which are at the center of File 2000, involving a suspected quid pro quo in return for favorable coverage. By posting the photos on his Facebook, Netanyahu declared open season on the journalists and, in general, the media.

A day before, Netanyahu posted a short clip that opens: “For 3 years, the left and the media have been persecuting the attorney general to force him to indict me at all costs." The words “3 years” and “all costs” are colored red, with the graphic design strongly suggesting that the left and the media are spilling Netanyahu’s blood.