After two weeks of silence during which former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was hardly seen in the Knesset, he posted a video on social media Jan. 24. In it, he announced that he will remain to lead the Likud in order to make his way back to leading the state and put an end to the succession battle that had erupted within the party, following the revelation that he was considering a plea bargain in his graft trial.

Netanyahu refuted reports in the press, saying that he won’t plead guilty to a a moral turpitude charge. Accepting such a plea bargain would mean that Netanyahu won’t be able to run for office for seven years. At his age, it would probably mean the end of his political career. That being said, Netanyahu did not deny that discussions are ongoing for a plea bargain. He also thanked his fans for their tremendous support and promised to keep fighting for them.

Netanyahu’s numerous followers had waited for this announcement ever since the plea bargain news broke. They keep standing by their leader even as he is pushed deeper and deeper into the opposition and his political and legal future is uncertain. Thousands of them contributed to a crowdfunding campaign created by right-wing media personality Yinon Magal, a Netanyahu supporter, to help finance his legal defense. Almost four million shekels have been gathered so far, and people keep offering money.

Clearly, identification with Netanyahu goes way beyond politics.