When his criminal investigations began three years ago in December 2017, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stage at a large political rally in Tel Aviv and mocked reporter Moshe Nussbaum’s expressive eyebrows. The features are so well-known that they are practically a trademark for the veteran journalist, who covered the investigation. The crowd roared hysterically at the sight of the prime minister himself ridiculing the journalist. Nevertheless, the scathing coverage that Netanyahu received for this ugly stunt (inspired by President Donald Trump, Netanyahu’s advisers admit behind closed doors) eventually led Netanyahu to call Nussbaum to apologize.

Since then, Netanyahu has been indicted for bribery and his attacks against journalists he suspects of celebrating his downfall have only gotten worse. In fact, Netanyahu is openly spearheading a campaign to delegitimize certain journalists he finds especially odious. He calls them out by name and incites his supporters to smear them.

It therefore came as no surprise when on June 23, a critical reporter needed to be rescued by the police from a demonstration by Netanyahu supporters in Tel Aviv. Veteran journalist Amnon Abramovich is a commentator for Channel 12 who appears on news shows regularly. His reports and comments about Netanyahu are witty, incisive and frequently devastating.

Abramovich has covered Netanyahu for decades and has never gone easy on him. Nor has he ever concealed his disdain for the prime minister. In the last few years, however, his relationship with Netanyahu has become even more tense. Netanyahu’s supporters have come to see Abramovich as a symbol of Netanyahu's (alleged) harassment by the media and the left.