Palestinians were glued to their TV sets on Feb. 13 when the Israeli Police published its recommendations to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over charges of bribery. Netanyahu is suspected to have accepted gifts from US-based Israeli billionaire Arnon Milchan and to be involved in a give-and-take deal with Arnon Mozes, the publisher of Yedioth Ahronoth daily.

Several people who Al-Monitor spoke with in a Ramallah cafe were delighted over the news, yet cynical. “He will outmaneuver everyone, as he does with the US administration,” said one of them, speaking on condition of anonymity. “It is the occupation that corrupted him,” said a Palestinian student from Al-Quds University, also speaking on condition of anonymity.

For a very brief moment, the Palestinians felt things were going their way. But a senior PLO source close to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed concern. He said he was worried over what Netanyahu has in mind in order to prevent an indictment or a trial. He and others in the corridors of power in Ramallah are concerned that Netanyahu will adopt an even more bellicose policy, seeking at any cost to solidify his right-wing base.

The Palestinian leadership suspects that Netanyahu will opt for a major expansion of settlements in the West Bank in order to jeopardize any sovereignty of a Palestinian state. Netanyahu might also choose to annex an Israeli settlement such as Maale Adumim, a step that may set the region on fire. Ramallah also fears that Netanyahu will generate new cycles of violence against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and that he will order a so-called preventive strike in Lebanon against Hezbollah. Netanyahu could also say out loud that he rejects a US peace initiative.