Netanyahu thwarts risk of submarine scandal resurfacing

At the beginning of May, the Egyptian navy received the third submarine out of four that Egypt had bought from the German corporation Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems. These submarines were greeted by headlines not only in Egypt but also in Israel, because here they star in the “submarine affair,” which is considered by pundits to be the most severe case of corruption since the founding of the State of Israel. The affair includes the three new submarines acquired by Israel from Thyssenkrupp, but also the ones purchased by Egypt from the same source.

One of the arguments made by all the Blue and White seniors during the recent election campaigns is that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the Egyptian sale to Chancellor Angela Merkel without consulting or updating the heads of Israel’s defense system. Germany does not need Israel’s approval, but because of the special bilateral relations, Berlin did ask Jerusalem’s acceptance. According to former chiefs of staff Moshe Ya’alon, Gabi Ashkenazi, Benny Gantz (and also Yair Lapid), Netanyahu’s lone approval had effectively waived Israel’s veto power regarding the sale of German strategic weapons to Israel’s neighbors. They even argued that his conduct was alarming and on the border of treason for allowing the Egyptian navy to acquire sophisticated, expensive and lethal weapons. They hinted that this was connected to personal interests of Netanyahu’s close friends and family members in Thyssenkrupp.

Of course, since then, Egypt received most of the submarines it bought from the Germans — Israel did not receive any of the three submarines it was supposed to purchase in this round since the entire deal was never completed. And what was the fate of the submarine affair? This, too, has disappeared from the public agenda. Having joined the unity government, Gantz and Ashkenazi are embedded in Netanyahu’s Cabinet. Only Ya’alon continues the battle cry from the opposition, but in vein. The police investigation ended, the principal state’s witness Michael Ganor retracted his words and Netanyahu continues on his merry way.

When the story exploded in the media more than three years ago, it had seemed that the case had the potential to bury Netanyahu and his regime for good. While Netanyahu was able to brand the other corruption cases as “petty persecution” on the part of investigative authorities, the submarine affair bears signs of something close to treason. The fact that several people close to the prime minister were involved in strategic weapon deals, and that they were under suspicion of doing so for personal gain — tantamount in Israel to violating the “holy of holies," its national security — threatened to damage Netanyahu’s reputation even among his most devoted followers.