The public indifference to the Dec. 2 police recommendations to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of bribery and his continued strong standing in the polls bring to mind a statement presidential candidate Donald Trump made in January 2016: “I could stand at the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters.” Benjamin Netanyahu can lash out at police, grant seals of approval to European anti-Semites, incite against human right activists, insult a social activist from the border town of Kiryat Shmona, send his wife on a diplomatic mission to Guatemala, and still not lose voters. The recurrent mantra in Israeli discussions on the matter goes like this: “True, he is corrupt, but do you have anyone better?” The answer is usually a nod of agreement.
While President Trump’s opponents can pray that the findings of special counsel Robert Mueller and his team will hasten the end of his presidency, Netanyahu need not rush to apply for unemployment benefits. Also, although the Democratic Party, which represents an alternative to Trump administration policies, has succeeded in taking over the House of Representatives, the left-wing parties in Israel are not really threatening the ruling coalition of the right wing and the ultra-Orthodox. Each corruption scandal seems to further strengthen Netanyahu’s support. He has broken all records in the democratic world in terms of the number of criminal cases he faces and the number of government portfolios he holds, all at the same time.
