The death of Shimon Peres, Israel’s ninth president and former prime minister and defense minister, has pushed the current corruption scandal out of the public eye. The Ministry of Justice's press release on its decision to press charges against 16 suspects under investigation in the Yisrael Beitenu corruption case called it "one of the biggest ever revealed in Israel." The prosecution expects to soon press additional charges against senior figures in the party, whose founder and leader is Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and State Attorney Shai Nitzan noted that the case is unusual in the complexity and sophistication of the misdeeds as well as the scope of activity and number of people involved. The investigation has found a series of alleged corruption affairs that are apparently linked and organized. Of course, all involved are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.

In the worst case scenario, the threads will lead to Liberman and his name would be added to the list of the accused. In a slightly better scenario, it will be determined that Liberman knew the leadership of his party was rotten and turned a blind eye. But even if no criminal charge sticks, the Justice Ministry’s grave announcement throws a shadow on his public status. At best, the man responsible for the safety of Israel’s citizens fell asleep at the wheel. After he failed for years to protect his political home, how can we entrust him with responsibility for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)? Who can guarantee that the man who failed to choose people well suited to lead his party will make good choices about the officers tasked with heading the IDF? Even if there’s no truth at all to the charges and the sharp words of the attorney general, Liberman must vacate his place at the government’s table.

The list of those charged includes men and women who held senior posts in the party. Liberman was the one who appointed former Deputy Interior Minister Faina Kirshenbaum secretary-general of Yisrael Beitenu — the most senior position in the party’s organization. Kirshenbaum is suspected of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, money laundering and tax fraud. Liberman, and no one else, entrusted the leadership of the Knesset’s Finance Committee and then the Ministry of Tourism in the hands of Stas Misezhnikov, suspected of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, possession and use of a dangerous substance and disruption of judicial proceedings. As party chair, Liberman is personally responsible for the appointment of David Godovsky as director of the organizational wing of the party. Godovsky is suspected of bribery, money laundering, conspiracy to commit a crime, fraudulently obtaining benefits under aggravated circumstances and willful tax evasion. And who appointed Ronen Moshe, suspected of bribery and money laundering, as Liberman’s media adviser?

Lobbyist Israel Yehoshua (suspected of bribery, deceitful receipt of goods, money laundering and willful tax evasion) is part of Liberman’s closest circle of loyal associates. Rami Cohen (suspected of bribery, deceitful receipt of goods, forgery, false declaration in documents of incorporation and disruption of judicial proceedings) owes Liberman his position as director of the Ministry of Agriculture. A note from the chairman is necessary for landing a position as assistant spokesman for any Yisrael Beitenu minister.