In the afternoon of Jan. 1, just hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced the cameras and announced that he was seeking Knesset immunity from prosecution, his associates claimed he was still undecided on the matter. They were likely not confused but striving to create the impression that the prime minister, under indictment for bribery, was torn over whether to seek immunity, which means evading criminal prosecution. There was media and public speculation about Netanyahu’s intentions, but he had already decided weeks ago to seek immunity and was waiting for the most appropriate moment, knowing the issue was explosive.

His first task was winning his Likud's Dec. 26 leadership primary. Then he waited several more days, until less than four hours from the 30-day deadline set by law for submitting an immunity request. When Netanyahu finally faced the public shortly before the midnight deadline, he soft-peddled his immunity request, arguing that his indictment had not been filed “in good faith.” The charges against him were trumped up, he said, explaining that he was merely taking advantage of his legal right to continue serving the people and leading them to greater prosperity.

Netanyahu also had to explain why he had allegedly lied before the April elections when he indicated that he would not seek immunity. He had responded, “What? No way,” to an interviewer who asked him whether he would try to prevent his prosecution. This week, he provided a convoluted version according to which he had been telling the truth at the time and claimed the question had been slightly different.

Netanyahu’s immunity speech was not designed to win over voters from the centrist Blue and White Party, but rather to forestall defections from the so-called soft right, which might be put off by voting for a prime minister indicted for bribery, fraud and breach of trust and trying to evade the law. Blue and White chair Benny Gantz responded to Netanyahu’s nationally televised speech, “Netanyahu knows he is guilty. … Such immunity is corruption,” he said.